Battle on the Lovefield
by dilaimar
Summary: What happens when the past haunt you? Is Draco in trouble? Will Ginny help him? Is Harry falling for someone but denying it? R&R to find out!Summaries don't tell you everything!HPHGGWDM
1. Flashback

**Disclaimer**: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter

**Author's Notes**: This is my first ever fanfic and i aprreciate any reviews that anyone can give me. I'm going t improve along the way and only will with help from reviews. Words in italic represents thoughts and i don't think there's anything else to say at this moment. Just enjoy! The first chapter is a flashback. The main story takes place when they are 22/23.

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As Harry looked into her eyes, he felt like she was sucking him into her soul. They both stared at each other in the awkward silence and didn't move an inch but only for a while. Hermione quickly got up after realizing that she was on top of Harry. She was running in search of Ginny and Harry when she stumbled upon him. Harry too was running and collided with Hermione when they both turn around a bend.

"Erm..sorry Harry. Are you ok?" Hermione asked as she lends a hand to Harry and help him up to his feet.

"Yeh I'm fine. I don't see any birds flying around my head." He said and Hermione couldn't help herself but giggled.

"Well good then. I was looking for Ginny and you."

"I was looking for Ron actually. It's Ginny. She's crying over something again."

"And what makes you think it's a good idea to tell Ron? He'll freak out and I'm sure it won't help make things better for Ginny."

Harry pondered over what Hermione just said for a while and realized that she was probably right. He followed Hermione's lead to the Gryffindor common room. He suddenly could not take the image of Hermione on top of him off his mind. Harry realized that he actually saw her in a different way. All these time, all the seven years that they have spend hanging out together, Harry did not recognize and see that Hermione have grown into a beautiful young woman. Well, he did find her beautiful in the fourth year when she dressed up for the Yule Ball but his heart didn't race then like it did now. What's happening?

He could see that her hair was less bushy, her complexion was clearer and it made her skin glow every single time. He quickened his steps to walk beside Hermione who had a worried look on her face.

"What must it be this time?" Hermione asked Harry. Harry just shrugged. Ginny had become a tad too sensitive since the war started. Now that it has ended, she had improved but still cries over little things. Hermione understands that Ginny felt like she had lost a part of herself when Harry had to get involved in the war against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

On Harry's part, he knew that this was his destiny. He knew that if he did not fight the murderer of his parents and his followers, the future will be bleak and he understood that a lot of people were counting on him. Since he got back from the war (triumphant), Ginny seem to be quieter and she was avoiding Harry all the time. Being a guy, he couldn't understand why Ginny was acting this way. Ron told him to give Ginny more time.

He wanted to tell Ginny that he had been thinking a lot about her during the war. He might have a lot of things in his mind then but he surely couldn't stop thinking of how everything that had been happening is affecting her. Everytime Harry went up to her, she would walk away and even if she decided that she should maybe talk to Harry, she would suddenly make an excuse and then avoid him. Harry thought that he should just take Ron's advice and gave her some time.

Harry looked at Hermione and smile. Hermione returned back the smile and walked arm in arm with Harry.

"I'm so glad everything is over. Now we can just look into the future and not worry about a thing." Hermione said and Harry agreed by nodding his head.

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Ginny told herself to calm down so many times but everytime she took in a deep breath, tears end up spilling down her cheeks. _What's wrong with me? I use to be so strong!_

She paced up and down the corridor. Her cheeks were puffy and her eyes were a little swollen. She heard footsteps coming her way but ignored them. She buried her head in her hands and just cried her eyes out. Again.

"Crying again?" A cold voice said. Ginny looked up and saw a tall blond boy staring at her. She hated his silvery eyes so she buried her face in her hands once again.

"Leave me alone Malfoy. This has absolutely nothing to do with you!" Ginny said hold back the urge to scream at him.

Ginny knew that he was still standing there because she didn't her any footsteps getting away from her. She looked up again and saw that Draco Malfoy was still standing there with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you ok?" Draco asked gently.

_Why is he being so nice?_

Draco moved a few steps towards Ginny and sat down beside her. He had noticed that Ginny had been crying too much for the past few days. Well, he didn't stick around much at Hogwarts for his last year (with the war and all that) but he knew everything through Pansy Parkinson. She had been babbling about how much of a crybaby Ginny was. Every news that Ginny heard about Harry always brought tears to her eyes.

Ginny didn't know what made her do it but she put her head on Draco's shoulder and cried more. Draco looked over at Ginny and could smell the smell of strawberry on her hair. He was fighting with himself on what to do. He slowly slid his arms around Ginny's small shoulder and let her cry in his arms.

She missed Harry so much but she didn't know why everytime Harry wanted to talk to her, she would walk away. She felt like there was something inside of her that just wants to repel from him. She felt like she didn't belong to Harry anymore. The feeling of wanting Harry and no one else had gone and she sense that it would never return again. It was a sad thought which was why Ginny had been crying a lot.

Ginny continues to cry in the arms of her most hated person in Hogwarts. She didn't know why but she felt comfortable and she had never felt this comfortable for so long. She wished that she could stay in that position forever.

Draco looked at the Gryffindor that was crying in his arms. Never would he have thought that this would happen on his last day at Hogwarts. Her red hair tickled his left cheek and as she sobbed on his chest, he felt warm knowing that he was comforting someone. This was definitely something that he had never done before. His life had always been depicted as harsh, uncaring and full of rage. Holding someone like this was something totally different from him and yet it doesn't scare him.

She looked at the girl in his arms and knew that this was not going to be forever. He had to leave her if he wants her to stay alive.

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	2. A Big Loss and Looking Back

**Disclaimer**: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter

**Author's Notes**: Well this is where a bit of history will be told and Jilly Prague is my original character. Not much of here in this chapter though. So enjoy!

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Hermione Granger looked at the people around her and sighed. She was wearing a black long sleeve dress, which reached up to her ankle. She had her long brown hair tied up into a ponytail with a black ribbon. She looked at the coffin in front of her and cried. Hermione reached for her father's hand and squeeze it gently.

Robert Granger looked at his wife who was lying peacefully in the coffin. He tried hard not to cry for Hermione's sake. He looked over at her daughter who had red eyes after crying so much. At 23, Hermione had lost her mother and it pained him to see how hurt she was.

Hermione took in a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. When the Grangers found out that Eileen was having the final stages of breast cancer, Hermione was the most affected. Her mother had been her pillar of strength and her mother was the person who made Hermione who she was.

Hermione felt someone standing on her right. She looked up to see a familiar face. The round-rimmed spectacles, messy black hair and the lightning scar on his forehead suddenly made her feel at ease. Harry placed his left hand around Hermione's shoulder and she lean on his chest for support. He kissed her forehead lightly. Someone placed a hand on her left shoulder and squeeze it gently. Hermione turned and saw a red head guy who had grown taller over the past few years. Ron looked at her and gave her a tiny smile.

Despite their hectic schedule and a few years of not able to see each other, the trio remained in contact. As soon as Harry and Ron heard the news, they both knew that Hermione would need them there.

After the funeral, the three of them hanged out in Hermione's big bedroom. They all lied down on Hermione's queen-size bed with Hermione sandwiched between Harry and Ron. The two guys let Hermione cry her eyes out because they knew that she had somehow lost a part of herself.

"Thank you." She said softly.

"You're welcome." Harry and Ron said in unison.

"You know you can always count on us Hermione." Ron said.

Hermione nodded and took both of her best friend's hands into hers. She always felt comfortable around them. Even back at school, when girls were not far from having cliques that only accept members of the same gender, Hermione refrain from doing so. Well she still gossiped with Ginny and the Patil twins but hanging out was best with Harry and Ron. The adventures they all had together were the most memorable moments of her life in Hogwarts. Hermione decided to change the subject and ask them about their jobs.

"Well of course I can't complain. It's like a dream come true." Harry exclaimed.

"So when is Puddlemere's next game?" Hermione asked.

"Next week." Harry replied.

"So what is it like working with the Ministry Ron? Any luck of a pay raise?" Hermione asked, already knowing the answer.

"No…of course not and being an auror nowadays is unexciting. Well we did caught a few people suspected of being a Death Eater but it was more exciting back in those days."

"But I bet you love patrolling, now that you're doing it with Jilly." Harry teased.

"Oi!" Ron said throwing a pillow at Harry.

"Who's Jilly?" Hermione asked suddenly interested.

"Jilly Prague . She did go to Hogwarts the same year we did. She was in Ravenclaw." Harry replied. Hermione looked over at Ron for more explanation.

Ron sighed at the sight of Hermione's pleading eyes. "Jilly and I have been seeing each other for three months now." He said feeling defeated.

"Well good for you. When can I see her?"

"Not so soon!" Ron cried out. "I don't want her to be intimidated. First Harry and then you? We had too much of a reputation back in Hogwarts so she knew who she would be meeting. She was so nervous when I introduced her to Harry."

"Well just don't keep me waiting!" Hermione said. "Do you ever miss Charlie?"

"Now that's a quick change of subject!" Ron said. "Of course I miss Charlie."

The war had snatched away a lot of loved ones including Charlie Weasley. The Order of The Phoenix had lost a lot of their members. The Death Eaters had gain in numbers after hearing that their Dark Lord had raised again. Lead by Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape, troops of Death Eaters charged their headquarters at Grimauld Place. That fateful night, when the trio was only starting to gain knowledge of hexes to use to protect themselves, they were put to the ultimate test.

Harry was gone with Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin and Tonks, in search of the hiding place of the Death Eaters. It proved fatal when Lucius Malfoy gained knowledge of how three of the strongest members of the Order have left the headquarters in search of them. With Harry also out of sight, Lucius and Snape lead the Death Eaters to war.

Ron and Hermione were lucky to suffered only injuries but when the Healers at St Mungos could not revive Charlie, the Order knew that the Death Eaters wanted war. The battle lasted seven grueling months and when it ended, Lupin, Tonks, Dean Thomas and Oliver Wood were lost. They died trying to protect the good from the evil. Harry defeated Lord Voldemort single handedly.

But everyone knew that the coast was not clear yet. Several Death Eaters were still around waiting for the right time to have revenge on losing their two leaders, Lucius and Snape, and of course their Dark Lord.

"I miss Lupin…and Tonks." Harry added. "Someday, I want those Death Eaters who are still hiding to know that they don't belong in this world. I'm still bitter about it you know."

"Mum still cries everytime she looks at Charlie's picture. Sometimes I think that she still don't realize that she have five other sons who really cared for her." Ron said sadly.

"Charlie was her son too. I'm sure she was just used to you guys, excluding Percy of course, having Quidditch games in the backyard when you have gatherings. But now…all that is gone. Percy might have come back home after the war ended, but things will never be the same." Hermione said.

"I hope helping Percy with his wedding plans will keep things out of her mind for a while. Speaking about Percy getting married…I can't believe Grace is doing this. Have you met Grace? She's like the chirpiest woman!" Ron exclaimed.

"Well then what they say is correct. Opposites attract!" Harry said.


	3. When it all Came True

**Disclaimer**: I do not own harry Potter

**Author's notes**: I don't know why i didn't receive any reviews the last chapter but it's ok which is why i'm posting a new chapter today. But anyway thanks to CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc and FireboltPhoenix for the review on the first chapter!

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"Hi mum." Ginny Weasley greeted as she apparated into the kitchen. "What's the occasion?" She asked when she saw her mum cooking a big meal.

"Hi dear. Your brother is coming back..together with Hermione and Harry. Bill and Fleur are coming too." Mrs Weasley replied.

"Ron is finally coming back? Is he bringing Jilly?"

"Jilly? Who's Jilly?"

"Oh…he didn't tell you?"

Ginny was saved by the sound of someone opening the front door. Fred and George came in and were whispering to each other. They looked over at Mrs Weasley and Ginny and gave them both a big fake smile.

Ginny just shook her head. She have been living with Fred and George 22 years of her life and she knew that once they start whispering to each other, it only means trouble. Ginny walked back up to her room and closed the door. She lay down on her bed and waited for her best friend and brother. As for Harry, well he was just a friend. They both have decided that they should just remained friends although Ginny could see the hurt in Harry's eyes when she decided so.

She looked at the wizard clock and saw that Ron was approaching home and would be back in no time. As if on cue, she heard Ron's voice and rush downstairs. As soon as Ginny saw Ron, she leaped in his arms.

"I'm sorry but I might have slipped a few things about Jilly to mum." Ginny whispered.

"It's ok." Ron said and assured Ginny by squeezing her hand.

"Hi Hermione. I'm sorry about your lost." Ginny sighed and gave Hermione a big hug.

"Thanks. I missed you." Hermione said. Ginny and Hermione have not been spending much time together after Hermione started her muggle job as an English teacher in Manchester. Hermione had plans to quit her job and decide that she should talk to McGonagall about the job as a Potions teacher in Hogwarts.

Ginny gave Harry a hug and they all sat down and start chattering like old times. Bill and Fleur came in a few minutes later and Bill joined in with the guys and start talking about Quidditch. Fleur, surprisingly, went to the kitchen and helped Mrs Weasley with the cooking. All of the Weasleys find it amusing when Fleur decide that she wanted to be a full-time housewife and have lots of kids. She started to ask Mrs Weasley for good recipes that she could cook for Bill and she has been interested since then.

"Hermione, I need to talk to you about something." Ginny said and pulled her aside.

"I had this weird dream every night since last week and I have a pretty bad feeling about it."

"What's in this dream Ginny?"

"There's a blurred vision of a guy and he was limping, quite badly. There were flashes of red and blue light…like someone is attacking him. It's very disturbing Hermione! There were screams and shouts and then I will wake up suddenly."

"It's just a nightmare." Hermione said trying to reassure Ginny.

"But I get this every single night. It has to mean something right? I mean…we live in a magical world. We can't just not do anything when things like these happens."

"Alvight every one. Ze food iz ready." Fleur said and everyone shuffled to the dining table slowly.

"We'll talk about this later. I promise." Hermione said.

As soon as everyone took their seats, food was passed around. Mr Weasley joined in a few minutes later after giving up on figuring out how to use a muggle cell phone.

"Nasty they are these things. Maybe you can teach me how to use it Harry. Hermione?" Mr Weasley asked.

"Of course." Harry said and Hermione just nodded.

Hermione took the seat beside Harry while Ron took the seat on the left side of Harry. Ginny sat across Ron and beside Fleur who was sitting beside Bill. It was like a big reunion with Fred and George creating their usual noisy atmosphere. Everyone was sharing jokes and stories about their life. There were laughs once in a while and in between "Pass the potatoes please" and "I want a piece of that chicken", Fred and George managed to experiment another of their joke creation on Ron.

"Bloody hell! What did you put in my drink?! I feel like I'm about to burst!" With that, Ron face turned beet red and everyone could see that he could just explode at any moment. He covered his mouth with his left hand and let out a loud burp.

"Eww…that smells really bad Ron!" Ginny said and pinched her nose.

"That's the Burping Ice for you!" Fred said and holds his stomach trying his best to suppress his laughter.

Despite all the noise, Ginny thought she heard someone knocking on the door. She ignored it at first but heard it again a few times.

"Someone's at the door." Ginny said. Everyone suddenly became quiet and aimed their eyes at the door. Sure enough! Someone was knocking at the door weakly they could barely hear it.

"I'll go check it." Bill volunteered. Fleur let go of her husband's arm reluctantly. Mr Weasley, Fred, George and Ron followed closely behind him. Harry stood up from his seat and looked intensely at the door. Bill opened it slowly and revealed a tall and blond guy. His hair was a mess and his nose was bleeding badly. His right eye was swollen and his lips split. He looked up at the Weasleys and fainted. Bill caught him and with Fred's help carried him to the sofa.

"Malfoy?!" Ron exclaimed.

On the other side of the room, Ginny pulled Hermione to the kitchen.

"It's him! He's the man in my nightmares!" Ginny whispered frighteningly.

"Are you sure Ginny?"

"Yes, absolutely. Blond hair, black turtleneck and black pants. Black leather shoes." Ginny said almost whispering.

Hermione looked at her best friend in concern. _She looked really scared_.

Everyone in the house, including Hermione and Ginny, walked over to the sofa and peered over at Draco Malfoy. He looked seriously hurt and injured. His breathing was shallow and he looked like he was about to die.

"What are we going to do?" Molly Weasley asked her husband. Arthur Weasley looked at everyone and sighed.

"We'll keep him here." He decided. It caused uproar between his sons.

"Are you kidding dad? Fred and George said

"This is bloody insane!" Ron cried out.

"Everybody quiet!" Mrs Weasley shouted. Everyone suddenly became silent at the sound of her voice. "Now listen, we're going to keep him here." Mrs Weasley ignored the disgusted looks on Ron's face. "We're going to fix him and then…"

"And then what mum?" Ron challenged.

"And then we're just going to ask him what happened and see if we can help." Mrs Weasley said calmly. Ginny looked over at Hermione who shrugged and looked over at Harry who was confused.

"Well aren't you going to say anything?" Ron asked Harry.

"Just listen to your mum alright?" Harry replied. Before Ron could say anything, Harry took Hermione's arm and said goodbye to everyone.

"I think we should head home now." Harry said. "Bye Ginny." He gave Ginny and Mrs Weasley a hug and patted Ron on the back.

"Take care. We'll talk again soon." Hermione whispered to Ginny when they were hugging.

"Your apartment?" Harry asked Hermione and she nodded. They both apparated to Hermione's apartment and landed in the living room. It was so quiet it's deafening to Harry's ears. Hermione plopped herself on the comfortable sofa and closed her eyes.

"Make yourself at home." She murmured.

Harry went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. He walked through the corridor leading to the study room and saw that there were a lot of framed pictures on the wall. He took his time and looked at each of them. The first one that caught his eyes was a picture of Hermione smiling widely with two of her front teeth gone. She was cute and Harry like the way her big brown eyes twinkled in the picture.

The second picture was a photo of Mr and Mrs Granger together with Hermione who was wearing her Hogwarts robes with pride. Harry could see from the picture that she was in her first year. Harry moved down to more pictures of Hermione and her parents and could see that Hermione really looked like the late Mrs Granger. The brown hair and big brown eyes are all the same.

He walked back to the kitchen and placed the glass on the sink. He made his way to the sofa and sat beside Hermione who was fast asleep. She looked so peaceful. Harry got up and looked at Hermione in awe. _She's beautiful_.

Harry shook of that thought and sighed. He carefully picked Hermione up in his arms and was surprised when she wrapped her small arms around Harry's neck and rested her head on his chest. He made his way slowly up to Hermione's room and laid her on her bed. Harry pulled the comforter up to her chin and kissed her on her forehead.

He sat down on a rocking chair and started to drift off to sleep. Eventhough Hermione had not asked him to stay over, he felt like it was his duty to do so. Hermione had gone through a lot of misery when she lost her mum and Harry felt like he had to protect Hermione even more.

He was glad that there were no awkwardness between Ron and Hermione. Back in their last year at Hogwarts, they both thought that it was best if they just remained friends so that it would not complicate things. Hermione could also see that a few girls were interested in Ron after he bravely went through the biggest war of magical history. She wanted him to be open and let other people be part of his life. Ron was disappointed of course but he could not deny that he loved the attention girls were giving him. Since then, their friendship had been tighter. Heartbreaks, moments of joy and sadness were freely shared among the trio.


	4. Draco's Story

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's Notes**: This is where Draco Malfoy finally comes fully into the picture...please give some comments!

**CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc**: of course i wanna make Harry sweet! That's the whole idea...

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The next morning, Hermione woke up feeling refreshed. She slipped out of bed and went straight to the bathroom. She removed her garments slowly and turned on a hot shower. The weather had been so cold lately that Hermione did not remember a time when she did not need a hot shower. She took her time shampooing her hair and gave her body a pampering scrub and lather on some strawberry body cream. When she was done, she wrapped herself with a towel and stepped out of the bathroom. As soon as she stepped out, she smelled bacon and eggs. _Is dad here?_

She quickly went inside her room and put on some clothes. She hurried down the stairs and turned to her right to the kitchen. Instead of her dad, she saw Harry.

"Oh Harry." Hermione said.

"Morning Hermione!"

"You stayed overnight? You really don't have to do that. I can take care of myself you know."

"Yes I know that. I just thought I should keep you company."

They both sat down and savoured on Harry's cooking. Hermione enjoyed it a lot and she started to miss her late mother. She felt a sudden tug in her heart and dropped her fork. Tear slides down her right cheek and she began to sob. Harry walked up and stood beside her. He rubbed her shoulder lightly and let her cry on his chest.

"I'm sorry. I miss my mum."

"It's ok Hermione. It's ok to cry."

They sat in silence as Hermione sobbed silently. Harry holds her tightly and wished that everything that was troubling her would go away. He couldn't bear to see his best friend in pain like this.

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Ginny sat down on the edge of Percy's bed and lightly pat the wet towel on Draco's face. He was a mess. His face was dirtied with the mix of blood and mud. He had been unconscious for a few hours and only Mrs Weasley and Ginny had been caring enough and take matters in their own hands by taking Draco to Percy's old bedroom. It was Ginny's shift and it had been an hour. She could not tear herself away from staring at Draco's face. After wiping his face clean, Ginny could see that there were several cuts on his cheek and his nose was slightly crooked. There was also a deep gash on his forehead.

Ginny couldn't stand the sight and decided to tell her mother about it. She thought that it was best if Draco gets treatment from the hospital. She got up from the bed and was about to leave when she saw that Draco's eyes were fluttering wildly.

"Mum! Mum!" She shouted.

"What is it my dear?" Mrs Weasley asked as she rushed into the room with Mr Weasley tagging behind her.

"What's happening to him?" Ginny asked.

As his eyes kept fluttering unnaturally, Draco Malfoy began to scream and he brought his arms to his face, covering it as if fearing that someone was getting near him.

"Get away from me!" He shouted but his eyes remained shut. Mr Weasley quickly ran to the bedside and calmed him down.

"Draco! Can you hear me? Draco! Draco!" Mr Weasley shook him lightly at first but had to make his actions aggressive when Draco started to slap him. Draco opened his eyes in shock and looked around the place.

"Where am I?" He asked frantically.

"You're at The Burrow. Now just go back to sleep. You must have had a bad dream." Mr Weasley said gently.

Ginny was surprised that Draco did not say anything else. She was even more surprised that nothing cruel came out from his mouth. Instead, he laid his head down on the pillow and went back to sleep. Mr Weasley walked back to Mrs Weasley and Ginny and asked them to follow him to the living room. They all sat down in silence for a few minutes.

"There's definitely something wrong with him. Bad dreams, injuries…" Mr Weasley sighed. "What could it be?"

"Dad we should bring him to St Mungos." Ginny said calmly.

"Ginny's right Arthur." Mrs Weasley chipped in.

"No. He might not like it. When he wakes up tomorrow morning, we'll ask him. We'll get him to talk. He couldn't just walk in here out of convenience. There has to be a reason." With that, Mr Weasley got up from his seat. Mrs Weasley and Ginny knew that it means that there will be no more discussion and he had made his final decision.

Mrs Weasley could see the worried look in Ginny's eyes. She took her hand and squeezed it lightly. "It's ok Ginny dear. Now let's go back to sleep and this means, you go back to your own room. Leave that boy alone for now."

Ginny nodded and went up to her own room with Mrs Weasley tagging behind to make sure that she did. Ginny couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned a few times and couldn't get her mind off the dream that she had been having. What connection does the dream have with Draco Malfoy?

She stared at the wall and see the shadow gradually changing with signs of the sun rising. Ginny sighed and got out of bed. She hoped that Hermione would be back soon and not forgotten that they didn't have the chance to talk about her dream. She took a quick shower and after she changed into cleaner clothes, she opened the door slightly and took a peek at Draco. He was still sleeping and luckily, he had not stirred since the last time he had that nightmare. Ginny closed the door and made her way down to the kitchen where Mrs Weasley was already awake and doing some cleaning. She helped her with some of the housework while waiting for the rest to wake up. Ron was first followed by Fred and George. They all sat in silent and stare at each other.

"So my children are not going to eat anything that I have prepared?" Mrs Weasley asked clearly annoyed.

As soon as she said that, the four of them started to dig in. Each of them obviously had no appetite and chewed slowly. Mrs Weasley sighed loudly. As if on cue, Mr Weasley came down the stairs followed by Draco. Once at the base, Draco looked directly at Ginny. Ginny saw that he looked at her directly in the eye. She quickly looked away afraid that she might blush. His eyes were hollow and tired and his face was worn.

"He's ready to talk." Mr Weasley announced. Fred and George hastily got up from their chairs to join Mr Weasley and Draco in the living room. Ron took his time. Mrs Weasley and Ginny pulled out chairs from the dining room and placed it in between the two rooms. The Burrow was a very small house and every inch of the house will usually look the same.

"Whenever you're ready Draco." Mr Weasley said and patted him on his back.

Draco nodded and kept his head down throughout the conversation.

"After my dad died, I immediately knew that they would be coming to look for me. They will come looking for me and convince me to be part of them. When the war started, I was surprised that my dad wants me nothing to do with it. So he locked my mother and me in a secret room and put a secret charm to it. My mum couldn't break the charm neither can I. I tried everything that was taught to me ever since I was thirteen. I was secretly taught dark magic in the manor by my father." Draco paused and shut his eyes.

"No one knows the difficulties my mum and I went through. After hearing news of my dad's death, I knew that I am the only person who can protect her. So we started packing but we were too late. Pettigrew…he opened the door and I don't know how he did it. My mother and I became their prisoner. I was not allowed to talk about them and they let me go back to Hogwarts for a while so that I can pretend that nothing had happened. I know that I couldn't run anywhere else because I was watched. They know where I go, everything I said and I did not want to put anyone in danger."

"As soon as I graduate, I was locked back inside the manor. I was trained to be a leader but I couldn't do it. It's all so wrong! I tried so hard to get my mother and me out of their grasp. But everytime I try, I failed and everytime I try escaping, they'll torture me to no end." Draco suddenly became angry. "And my mother…they tortured her too…right in front of me! They wanted me to be their leader and because I defy, they torment me."

"Then one night, when everyone was asleep, I woke my mother up and told her that I am going to try to escape again. She wouldn't let me go but I was determined. I told her I'll come back for her."

For a while, Ginny thought she saw a glint of sadness in Draco's grey eyes. She had known Draco for six years in her life and she knew that he wasn't the kind to show any emotion.

"I managed to break free but not for long. There were obstacles." Draco buried his face in his hands, trying to remember the details. "It was horrible. There were ten of them and only one of me. It's a miracle I'm still here. On nights where I have to take the forest as refuge, I had strange dreams, which actually lead me to here. I don't know why so please don't ask me." Draco pleaded.

For the first time, Ginny saw Draco as a vulnerable man and it worried her. Draco had given her a lasting impression as someone who was strong and powerful and that fateful day when he had let her cry in his arms, Ginny felt safe and secured.

When Draco kept quiet, everyone knew that he did not want to discuss the matter any further. They knew that he needed their help. Ron avoided everyone's glances. He wasn't convinced. _It might be a trap_, he thought.

Mrs Weasley had made for Draco a cup of hot chocolate and he drank it in one gulp. He looked up at everyone, even Ron, who ignored him. "I'm on your side now. I need help. I will share with you the secrets of the Death Eaters if it helps you in anyway."

"Why don't we talk later? Meanwhile, I think you should rest more." Mr Weasley advised.

"I can't afford to do that! They might kill my mother!"

"You have to calm down son. We can't just barge in on the like that! We have to have a plan. Ginny, why don't you bring him upstairs dear?" Mr Weasley said calmly.

"I can do that myself!" Draco retorted and stomp his way up to Percy's room.


	5. No More Secrets

Disclaimer: I do not own harry Potter

Author's Notes: I am not sure if i have the time this week to post anymore chapter but i hope i will have the time. Work and school is taking a toll on me and i am really hoping that i can cope with everything! This chapter is quite short. So...please read this chapter and REVIEW!!!!!I WANT REVIEWS!!!! LOLX!

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"I'll be in my room." Ginny said after everyone witnesses Draco's spoilt self. Instead of going to her room, Ginny made a detour to Percy's. She knocked on the door and opened it slightly.

"Is that why you ignored me after that day?" Ginny asked, getting straight to the point.

"What are you talking about Weasley?"

That made Ginny angry. She just didn't understand why Draco was that way. With everything that had been going on in his life for who doesn't know how many years, he was still cold-hearted.

"That May, before you graduated." Ginny said. "I don't know why you came to me and offered your shoulder and then the next day, you pretended like nothing happened." Ginny started to whisper to control her emotions. She felt like a bucket of tears were about to spill from her eyes. "You ignored my glances and then you went away, disappeared."

"I want to be alone right now. So please get out." Draco hissed.

Ginny thought that she could cry there and then but was saved by her mother's calling. Hermione and Harry was downstairs waiting for her. She left the room and closed the door behind her. She took in a deep breath and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She went down the stairs and was greeted by Hermione.

"I'm so glad you didn't forget." Ginny whispered. "Let's talk in my room."

Meanwhile, Harry was already deep in conversation with Ron who was expressing his disgust. "What does that ferret thinks he is? What? Just because he's a Malfoy, we should kneel down and follow his orders?"

"Come on Ron. Relax mate. We don't know anything yet. Now, I understand that your father are contacting Moody and Bill about it right?" Harry asked and Ron nodded reluctantly. "Then we'll just wait and see. Where's Malfoy?"

"Upstairs. You're seriously not affected at all and it's bothering me!"

"That's because I have more important things in my mind."

"What could be more important than this?" Ron snapped.

Harry leaned in so that no one else can hear. "I got news last night that I'm playing for the England team for the World Cup."

"Alright man!" Ron cheered forgetting about what he was upset about. "So you're going to France in a few weeks! That's bloody cool! So do I get free tickets?"

"I don't know alright."

Harry wasn't really enthusiastic about the prospects of being in the England Squad. It was his dream but something was stopping him from being happy when he got the news. He didn't know why but as soon as he got the news, an image of Hermione popped up in his mind. He didn't think he could leave Hermione just like that. Playing for the World Cup requires a lot of his commitment and at this point of time, he didn't want to leave Hermione's side. He would be gone for almost a month if he chose to accept the proposal. _Why do I feel this way for Hermione? I didn't feel this protective when I was dating Cho._

About five weeks after graduation, Harry had started dating Cho seriously but it only lasted only seven months. Harry found that they have not much in common except Quidditch. Their relationship started to strain when Harry started training with Puddlemere and they rarely see each other. Cho got jealous of the attention Harry gets from girls and Harry couldn't stand of the fact that Cho couldn't be independent and needs him by her side most of the time. If there's one thing that Harry dislikes, its clinginess.

Of course he wants somebody he could love in his life but he also wants some time where he can be alone and not be too attached to someone. Harry would love someone who could stand on her own two feet, someone strong and intelligent. _Someone like Hermione?_

Harry shook off that thought and tried to think of something else.

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"That must be hard for him. So do you really think it's him in your dreams?" Hermione asked.

"I am so sure it's him and furthermore, he also mentioned about his dreams that lead him to The Burrow. It has to be connected." Ginny said sighing. She wanted to help Draco so much but he had made her so angry a few minutes ago. _Who does he thinks he is? Making me feel small in my own home when he's the guest!_

Ginny have never told anyone about that day where she had cried in Draco's arms. Draco, upon hearing footsteps coming their way had fled. So no one saw her crying in his arms. Ginny looked up at her best friend and thought that it'll be best if she tells her about it.

"There's something that I have not told you about." Ginny started. As she tells Hermione about that fateful day, Hermione started curious, then surprise and lastly shocked.

"How come you didn't tell me before this? Ginny, if I have ever made you feel like you can't tell me anything, I'm really sorry you know."

"Hermione, it's not that. I just thought it might not be important."

"Ginny, you cried in his arms and you said you feel the safest when he had his arms around you. You said you feel like he was protecting you. All these are not significant?" Hermione paused for a while and moved closer to Ginny. "Do you have feelings for him?"

"Why should I? He made me feel so angry half an hour ago!" Ginny replied a little too quickly.

"No more secrets alright?" Hermione asked and Ginny nodded.

"Thank you." Ginny said and hugged Hermione.

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CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: Oh it's so hard to type out your pen name fast Rochena! Haha. Well anyway of course The Weasleys are nice...they're our favorite wizarding family! I always thought Draco and Ginny will look cute together!


	6. Blinded

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter.

**Author's Note**: Well i just thought i should update. This chapter don't really tell much except for a development to Draco's part.

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Draco sat down at the edge of the bed to think. When Ginny left the room, he felt a tiny pang of guilt but it disappeared immediately. _Why should I feel guilty?_

What Ginny really didn't know of course was the dreams that Draco have been having about her. Other than the dreams that had lead him to The Burrow, he had been dreaming about a particular red-head. He was drawn to her. He wanted his hands to run through her fiery red hair and he wanted to touch her soft skin with his bare hands. He simply wanted her. Draco shook off that thought and sighed in frustration.

He knew that if he stayed in The Burrow any longer, his mother might die and he did not want to lose her. But if he wants to go back to the manor and rescue her, he has to have a good plan. He knew that Death Eaters would be keeping a tight guard around the manor. But if he could use the capability taught to him, he might just able to fool them.

In the months that he was under training and tortured by the Death Eaters he had actually gained a lot of information on hexes and mind control. But he knows that he wouldn't be able to conquer them alone which was why he was right here in The Burrow, trying to get help from people that he had despise since the first time he met them. He had no idea why his dreams had brought him here but deep in his heart he knew that it was the right place to go. He knows that the Order fight against Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters and if he wants them defeated, he needs the Order's help.

He was sure that the Order had not disbanded yet because he knew that they know better that some Death Eaters were still lurking around. They wanted revenge and thought that Draco would be a great leader for them since Lucius had been. But they were wrong of course because Draco turned against the dark side. Yeas, he had followed their orders by learning and training with them but it was all for his own good. With all the information that he had gathered, it would be an advantage to go against the Death Eaters.

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"Just owl me if you have any of these dream again alright?" Hermione whispered to Ginny as they descended the stairs slowly. As they walked down the stairs, they could see Harry whispering to Ron. As soon as Harry saw the girls, he stopped and changed the subject.

Hermione knew that she would manage to screw it out of the boys. No matter how much they want to hide something from Hermione, they just couldn't.

"Alright, spit it out. You guys don't whisper just for nothing."

"You tell her." Harry nudged.

"No you tell her. It's your news." Ron replied.

Hermione could see that Harry was feeling uneasy and quite nervous. He keeps shifting his glasses and Hermione knew that if he does that, it means that he was really anxious.

"I got an owl mail last night."

"And?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah that's about it." Harry replied as his ears turned a light shade of red. Ron sighed in frustration.

"He's picked to play for England in this year's Quidditch World Cup!" Ron cried out happily. With that, Hermione and Ginny congratulated Harry at the same time.

"Harry that's great! Congratulations!" Ginny said.

"Wow! Congratulations Harry!" Hermione said.

Hermione smiled at Harry and stepped forward to give him a hug and Harry blushed slightly. Ginny noticed it as his face turned pink but Ron being Ron didn't. Ginny could see that Harry was actually paying more attention to Hermione and now that she saw Harry blushing when Hermione hugged him, she wondered if there was anything more.

"You're going to France then. France is brilliant Harry! You'll love it! Mum and Dad always bring me there in the summer if we're not in Greece." Hermione started chattering about the towns in France that she had visited but Harry looked uncomfortable. Ron looked at Harry and started to laugh. "Ok, what's so funny Ron?" Hermione asked.

"It's useless telling Harry all of these. He doesn't want to go and if he is not accepting the proposal then Lionel Jordan will be England's Seeker." Ron explained.

"Lionel Jordan! That playboy from The Warriors? Oh Harry, he doesn't deserve that place in the England squad. You do!" Ginny cried out. "Why didn't you want to go anyway?"

"I just thought that the Order might need me if another war breaks out you know." Harry said lamely.

"We don't know anything yet Harry. Please go. If Ginny is saying the truth about this Jordan guy then I think you deserve that place in the squad more." Hermione pleaded.

"I'll think about it." Harry said.

"Ok that aside…I'm the new Potions teacher at Hogwarts! McGonagall straight away hired me. She said I'm the best shot and they really need someone urgently so I'm starting tomorrow!" Hermione said excitedly.

Hermione was beaming happily at all her friends but she thought she saw a flicker of sadness in Harry's eyes. But when she threw a questioning look at Harry, a small smile crossed his face.

"I'm happy for you." Harry said.

"Thank you." Hermione replied.

Hermione put on her usual brave front but deep inside, she was actually afraid. Of course she was excited at the prospect of going back to Hogwarts but this time, she would be alone. Ginny, Ron and Harry are not going to be with her and she will surely miss them. She looked over at Harry who was acting weirdly after she told everyone the news.

"Oi Harry…Ron!" Fred called out from his room. "Come check this out. George and I just discovered a new creation."

Ron immediately ran up the stairs with a stupid smile on his face. "Come on Harry, if it's successful then we'll be the first one to test it!"

Harry climbed up the stairs behind him reluctantly. The two girls sat down on the sofa sipping on Butterbeer.

"Have you noticed anything wrong with Harry lately?" Ginny asked Hermione.

"Not really. Why?"

"You mean you didn't notice how he acts around you?" Ginny asked unbelievingly. Hermione looked at Ginny carefully and with a woman-to-woman instinct, she realizes what Ginny meant.

"Oh no. You don't think…no, absolutely not. We're friends." Hermione stuttered.

"And that's a problem because?"

"Friends are just friends Ginny and besides I've known Harry half of my life…it's just going to be weird."

"Oh Hermione, I think you're blinded! Don't get me wrong…you're smart…but when it comes to love…you have no idea." Ginny said teasing Hermione who blushed a deep red.

"You know, he did keep me company last night when I didn't ask him to."

"There you go." Ginny said triumphantly.

Hermione sighed and thought about what Ginny had just said. It's not that she doesn't like Harry but at this moment, she couldn't think of him as more than a friend.

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Oh wel i thought i should just stop this chapter right here. The next chapter i think is going be quite long. I just need to do a few changes.

xMarauderxForeverx: Thanks for reviewing! Nothing is as good as receiving reviews from new people...makes me want to update more!


	7. The Warning

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Author's note: I'm sorry it took me quite long to post this chapter...i have some new plans though. I'm only posting new chapters about once or twice a week...i just don't want the story to end too fast...it won't be fun. So meanwhile do enjoy this chapter. This is where a mystery starts to form.

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Hermione woke up to a very beautiful morning. It was about half past six and she could slightly hear birds chirping in the distance. She opened the window and felt a light and cool breeze. She lightly wrapped her arms around her shoulders and rubbed it gently when she felt the coldness in the air. She closed the window and made her way to the bathroom for a quick shower. After the shower, she put on her best robes, which was navy blue in colour. She tied her long brown hair into a loose bun with her favourite light yellow scrunchie. She went out of the dormitory and made her way to breakfast.

Hermione looked around the Great Hall and sighed in content. Everything was still the same. The hanging candles, the magnificent ceiling and of course, four long tables for all the students. This time, it was a little bit different. Hermione walked to the teacher's and staff table instead of heading to the Gryffindor table. She was seated next to Professor McGonagall who was now the Head Mistress after Professor Dumbledore's death.

Hermione took a good look at the student's and feel a sudden anxiousness in her stomach. _Can I do this?_ She stopped her thoughts and took a huge breath in and then slowly out. _If McGonagall believes in me then I should believe in myself._

She looked over at the Gryffindor table and immediately spotted Bill and Fleur's son, Michael, who had Fleur's blonde hair and Charlie's freckles and brown eyes. She waved to him and he waved back. As everyone ate their breakfast happily, Hermione went through her teaching schedule for the day in her head one more time.

Two hours with the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw fifth years and then followed by two hours with Gryffindor and Slytherin seventh years. After lunch, it'll be Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw seventh years and then Gryffindor and Slytherin sixth years.

Hermione was excited and as soon as Professor McGonagall introduced her to the students, she was all smiles and couldn't wait for her first lesson. But before lessons began, she ran down to Hagrid's hut to give him a proper greeting.

"How are yeh Hermione?" Hagrid asked when she hugged him.

"Pretty good. I can't believe you're still here Hagrid."

"Can't bear ter leave dis place. Its like my home ter me." Hagrid replied.

After a few more conversations, Hermione ran back up to the Potions room and was not surprised that only a few students were there. She then realized that students being students have the habit of being late. As soon as everyone in her first class had settled down, Hermione went on with her lessons. She was surprised that she immediately got a response from one of the Hufflepuff students but was shock when she asked the question.

"Professor Granger, what is it like being in the Golden Trio? I mean, the Trio are very popular, and even till right now, it's all people talk about." The girl commented.

"Miss Cole, I appreciate your interest but I think we should learn what's important for your O.W.L.S first before we can discuss anything else." Hermione replied.

"Oh come on Professor, it's your first lesson and I'm sure it's going to be the same in all the other classes. I'm sure they want to know too." A boy from Ravenclaw said. "Besides, you're the first Professor that we have actually heard of before. We just want to get to know you better." He said playfully and the rest of the class agreed.

Hermione wanted so much for her students to like her but she also have to be strict. She was not going to let anyone took advantage of her.

"I'm sorry class, but lessons are important. Now if everyone could please turn to page 167 of your textbook and revise on the Remembering Potion then maybe I'll reconsider your proposal." She said professionally to the disappointment of her class. She smiled secretly knowing that she had done a good job about the situation.

"I'm going to look at how every pair is doing and at the end of it, I want each pair to present to me a small vial of your potion so that I can grade you on it." Hermione continued. "It is important to note that if your potion is successful it will turn into three different colours first, before forming into a white liquid. Can anyone tell me what the three different colours are?" Hermione looked around at the few hands that shot up. "Mr Cygan?"

"That will be magenta and then sky blue and then lilac before turning white Professor." He replied confidently.

"That's correct. Ten points to Ravenclaw. Now everyone can start on their potion." Her class immediately got into action and retrieved whatever ingredients they need from the cupboard for their potion.

Hermione felt a sense of satisfaction when she looked at her first class. There was not much problem except for a pair of boys from Hufflepuff who stirred their potion clockwise instead of anti-clockwise. They were not paying attention to the delicate procedures of this potion and their cauldron exploded into pieces. Hermione looked disapprovingly at them and they mumbled sorry a couple of times while looking at the floor. She had them and another pair to split and work together as there was not much time to start from scratch.

Everything went well until she got to her last class with Gryffindor and Slytherin sixth years. As usual, she avoided questions about the Golden Trio at all cost and showed them that she had the power in the classroom. Some girls from the seventh year even cheekily asked if Harry was single because they find him totally irresistible.

When everyone left the room after her last class, she noticed that a girl from Slytherin took her time to pack her belongings. She recognized her as Natalie Avery. Hermione gave her a questioning glance when she looked up from her packing.

"Professor, I would like to ask you something." She began.

"Now Miss Avery, if it's about the Golden Trio, you know that I'm not going to answer it."

"Well it's not really a question…more like a comment." Hermione nodded suspiciously and gave her permission to talk. "The magical world is not really safe yet isn't it? I mean, we do know that some Death Eaters are still alive and not put into Azkaban…as in they're not captured yet."

Hermione could feel her heart starting to beat furiously. _Is she trying to tell me something?_ She looked into the girl's eyes and could see a reflection of "evilness" that some Slytherins possess.

"You should start looking behind your back more often Professor. You never know what's coming at you." With that, Natalie Avery picked up her bag and gave Hermione a menacing look before leaving the classroom.

Hermione could feel the hair at the back of her neck stand on end and felt a shiver ran down her spine. _It's true then what Malfoy have been saying_. _Avery! I though he was already caught by Aurors. _

Hermione quickly packed her books and leaves the classroom and made her way to her dormitory. She could feel herself sweat in fear. She gave the password to the knight in the picture and sat down on the armchair to think. A few minutes later, Hedwig perched itself on the windowsill and Hermione ran to it and untie the note on its leg. It was a note from Harry.

_Hi Hermione,_

_How's your first day? I hope that everything went well. Owl me back with all the details!_

_Harry_

She promptly took out two pieces of parchment and wrote down a message to Ron and Harry.

_Dear Ron,_

_I suggest that you start believing what Malfoy have told us. I don't want to write anything more in case this note got intercept. We'll meet at the Three Broomsticks this weekend._

_Love, Hermione_

_Dear Harry,_

_Thanks for asking me. First day was ok. Details later. Let's meet up at the Three Broomsticks this weekend. I hope you won't be caught up in training. This is really important._

_Love, Hermione_

She tied the two parchments on Hedwig's leg and gave it some cookies before it flew off to send her message. Hermione calmed herself down and made her way to the Great Hall for dinner.

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Well those of you reading just have to tell me what u think about this chapter! REVIEWS REVIEWS...i want reviews. And bout the Remembering Potion...it's just something i made up.

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: Thanks for reviewing...if love prevails of course i want my favourite pairing to stay together...so there's no need to be sad.


	8. Getting Closer

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Author's Note: I'm terribly sorry for the big gap! I was spending most of my time doing my assignment and worrying about work! Only writing keeps me sane. I actually do have chapters written in advance...it's just when i want to post it that's the problem. So here's chapter 8 and i hope those who read it will like it!

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It was very bright. The room had an unusual brightness to it that it hurt Draco's eyes. He shut his eyes but could still feel the intensity of the light. But when he opened his eyes, the beautiful red head was standing in front of him. She walked slowly towards him and sat next to him on the bed. She started trailing her small and delicate fingers along his strong jaw and Draco closed his eyes as he felt her touch. He took her hand and kisses it lightly. He then cupped her small and beautiful face and kissed her soft lips gently. It felt so real. He ran his hand through her soft and silky hair and deepened the kiss. She allowed his tongue to touch hers and when he heard her moaned in pleasure, he knew that he had got her where he wanted her.

"Draco Malfoy." She whispered "Wake up!"

"What?" He asked in confusion. Then, he heard a loud knocking sound and it disturbed him.

Draco opened his eyes slowly and groaned. _Stupid dream!_

He took his time and got up from the bed slowly. He dragged his feet to the door and opened it. His eyes were slightly closed and he opened it slowly to see who was at the door.

"What do you want?" He asked Ginny pushing back the dream he had about her all the way to the back of his head.

"The members of the Order are here. They want to see you." Ginny said.

"What is the bloody time?" Draco asked and looked at his watch. "It's ten! You lot are crazy aren't you? You don't go to seep?"

Ginny just shrugged and walked away.

"Bloody witch!" He hissed angrily.

He went back to the bed and grabbed his shirt. He washed his face from the water in a small basin and went downstairs. When he reached the base of the stairs, all the members of the Order stared at him. The Weasley brothers, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, Moody and a few others that Draco didn't recognize.

"What is this about?" He asked as he looked at each and every one of them. He realized that Harry wasn't there.

"We want to know everything that you know about the Death Eaters young man." Moody retorted.

Draco sighed and sat down on the wooden chair placed opposite the Order. _This looks like an interrogation. _

"Ok…I'll tell you everything."

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_Love Hermione? Does she mean love as in love me or just you know, signing off as Love Hermione? What am I rambling about? Her previous letters…were they signed off 'Love Hermione'? Oh Merlin! I'm getting insane!_

Harry re-reads the letter and could see that Hermione was actually desperate to meet him. _What could be the problem?_ Harry walked up and down the halls of 12 Grimauld Place and then sat himself on the cushy sofa. He looked at his watch. _7PM_.

He went out of the house with his favourite black robes and his Firebolt. New brooms might be out there selling but Harry always sticks to his Firebolt. He flew off at high speed to Hogwarts still wondering what was it that Hermione wanted to talk about. She was all excited about her first day at Hogwarts and Harry was sure that she would want to talk about it. But then she put it off saying that something else was more important.

In the distance, Harry could already see the outlines of his favourite place. The hundreds of towers of the Hogwarts castle were gleaming with lights. Harry thought that the students might still be awake since it was still so early. He landed expertly on the ground just a few feet away from Hagrid's Hut. Before making his way to the castle, he knocked on Hagrid's door to say hi. As soon as Hagrid saw who was at the door, he engulfed Harry in the biggest hug.

"Harry my boy. It's good ter see yeh. Wat are yer doin here?"

"I came to see Hermione…see how she was doing with her first day. How are you Hagrid?"

"Good…good. The students are becoming more demanding!" Hagrid grunted. "Oh well, why don't yer go off now ter see Hermione eh?"

"Ok. See you around Hagrid."

Harry walked up to the castle at a fast pace, his heart racing and he doesn't know why. He walked through the dimly lit corridor and saw a group of students coming out of the Great Hall. He looked at his watch again and realised that it was just past dinnertime. He quickened his steps to make sure he wouldn't miss Hermione. As he approached the group of students shuffling about the door to get to their dormitories, he realised that some of them were staring at him.

He made a mental note and scolded himself. I should have come after curfew! But he didn't really mind people staring at him like he had a gaping hole in the middle of his face. He was used to it.

"Oh my God! It's Harry Potter!" A beautiful girl gawked.

"Yeah, can't believe it's him. Must be here to see Professor Granger." Another girl said and they both giggled. Harry smiled at them politely and one of them looked like she was going to faint out of happiness.

"Uncle Harry!" Michael called out. He ran up to Harry and gave him a hug. As Michael leaped into Harry's arms, Harry picked him up easily.

"How's school?" Harry asked.

"Good."

"You're not up to something naughty are you? Uncle Fred and George haven't passed you any of their jokes to play at school?" Harry asked suspiciously and put him back down on the ground.

"Nope."

"Good boy. Now go along…catch up with your mates." Harry urged and he ran back to a group of boys that he had left earlier to greet Harry.

He went into the Great Hall and received stares from a few more people. Some of the boys even went up to him wanting to shake his hand. _Well at least there's no one like Colin Creevy._

Harry walked up to the staff table and spotted Hermione straight away. She was about to get up from the table when she saw Harry. Her face broke into a huge smile. She went down the steps quickly and ran up to Harry and wrapped her arms around Harry in a big hug. He hoped that no one saw him blushing because he was sure he looks like a tomato right now. Hermione did that once before (made him blush) when she kissed him on the cheek on the platform at King's cross back in the fourth year before they went their separate ways. That was the first time Hermione kissed him.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked in delight.

"I got your letter. It seemed urgent so I came down."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was kind of…you know...worried." Harry stammered. "Professor McGonagall." Harry greeted politely when she walked passed them.

"Good evening Mr Potter." She greeted. "I see that you're here to see Professor Granger. Well, take your time. If you would like some privacy, I'm sure you both know where to go." She said calmly and winked at Harry. Harry didn't know if he really understood what McGonagall really meant but he knew that he was starting to feel warm around his cheeks.

"Did she mean the Room of Requirement?" Hermione whispered when Professor McGonagall walked away. Harry just shrugged. "Let's go to my room. There are so many things that I want to tell you."

They walked arm in arm to Hermione's dormitory. Hermione didn't know why but she found herself always wanting to hold Harry's arm. She felt safe when she has her arms around his and she can't deny how her skin tingled when she felt Harry's muscles. All those Quidditch training had made him muscular.

"How's your first day? You don't seem like you want to talk about it."

"Oh Harry, I have no idea. It was all good but then…" Hermione stopped and looked around her suddenly remembering Natalie Avery's warning. "Let's just get inside first."

Once inside, Hermione and Harry removed their cloak and sat down on the comfortable sofa in the common room. Harry looked around the area and saw that it was nicely decorated. The red velvet curtains covered the ceiling to floor windows and there about five very high bookshelves allocated beside the windows. In the middle of the room was the sofa and a small coffee table and the floor was covered with the most exquisite carpet that Harry have ever laid eyes on.

"So what's up?" Harry asked as Hermione conjured two cups that starts to make their own coffee.

"I think Malfoy is speaking the truth Harry. In my last class today, there's this girl from Slytherin, she warned me about Death Eaters coming back to seek revenge. Well, she didn't exactly say that but it was along that line. Her name is Natalie, Avery. Isn't he one of Voldemort's Death Eaters? Do you think she might be related to him?"

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So readers...PLEASE tell me what u think about this!

BueFlame: Thanks for your review...i hope u will continue on reading!

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: the Golden Trio will always be our favourite group!


	9. The Interrogation

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's Note:** This chapter is where a lot of developments happen. So enjoy!!!

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"He was." Harry said with a frown on his face. "Did she threaten you or anything like that?"

"No she didn't but her warning was enough to make me worry. Do you think we should inform the Order? I'm sure this information will be valuable."

"I'm not sure. Any warnings right now will be an alarm to all of us. All those preparations that we have done will allow us to be vigilant at all times. In fact, some of the members of the Order are now over at the Weasley's to talk to Malfoy. I'm not able to join them because of training." Harry paused and looked at Hermione. "I don't know how they plan to interrogate him but I hope Malfoy will provide them with the information that we need to raid the Death Eaters."

"Do you think we will be more prepared now that we might just have Malfoy on our side? At least he could warn us on what to expect. This might sound impossible but I don't want any more casualties in the Order Harry…losing Lupin and Tonks was already disheartening. And Charlie too...that was our first big blow!" Hermione said sadly.

"Hey, come here." Harry said and Hermione moved closer to him and place her head on his shoulders. Harry rubbed her shoulders lightly and sighed. "I'm pretty sure we're more prepared now."

"I hope we are." Hermione said with a lot of optimism in her voice.

"Now, let's talk about something else. Like how's your first day?"

"It's brilliant actually." Hermione started and she went talking about how her students were mostly interested in talking about the Golden Trio than anything else. They continued talking and didn't realise that it was almost midnight when Hermione finished. Harry said goodnight and thought that giving a kiss on Hermione's cheek might be appropriate but went against it. _What would Hermione think?_

He flew off on his broom from Hermione's window. When he reached Grimmauld Place, he immediately owl mail Ron to ask him about the status of the interrogation.

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"Look, the point is, I am on your side now and we have to act fast! Hell! I was already on your side as soon as I graduated from Hogwarts!" Draco cried out angrily.

"Mind your language Mr Malfoy." Moody said calmly.

Draco sighed trying to calm himself down. He looked around the room and could see many sceptical faces. He knew…he knew that they wouldn't believe him but he came here anyway. He felt like he was wasting precious time. Who knew his mother might already be dead right now? He was not going to swallow his pride and begged them to help him. That was not how a Malfoy lead his life. He just had to convince them.

"My mother is in grave danger right now. They might kill her anytime they want!" Draco said.

"I don't think they will." Neville remarked.

"Oh yeah Longbottom? What do you know?" Draco challenged.

"I'm sure they want you to come back and if they do want you to come back, they won't kill your mother. They'll use her as bait." Neville said fighting back. It was unlike Neville to stand up for what he believes in. In the corner of his eyes, Draco could see Ginny beaming at Neville admiringly and felt a tiny pang of jealousy. Neville, noticing Ginny was looking at him gave her a smile shyly. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Bait? Are you kidding me Longbottom?"

"I think he's right." Ginny piped in.

"Alright…alright. We'll help you but we're not just going to plunge in without a plan. I'm going to discuss this with other members of the Order." Moody said with a tone indicating that this matter will not be discussed anymore until they made their decision.

Draco sighed angrily but remained seated. As the members of the Order dispersed, some of them through floo powder and some apparated, Draco saw Neville approaching Ginny with a silly smile on his face. _He's so ridiculous. There's no way Weasley will fall for him_.

"Hi Neville." Ginny gushed when he stood beside her.

"Hi. How are you? It's so good to see you." Neville said and gave her a hug.

"It's good to see you to." Ginny said and Draco saw her blush a little.

_Now, she's also ridiculous! Wait! Why do I care???_

Draco looked at the both of them in disgust and made his way upstairs taking note to accidentally hit Neville in the shoulder when he walked.

"Oops..sorry." Draco said insincerely and gave Neville his famous smirked. When Draco was out of sight, Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes.

"What's up with him?" Neville asked.

"He's just being childish…as always." Ginny said and they both laughed.

Just looking at Draco's eyes, Ginny knew that there was a flash of jealousy. Draco might be able to hide his emotion well but his eyes sure couldn't lie. It pleases her to think that Draco was jealous of Neville who was talking and flirting with her.

Ginny have absolutely no idea why but she was somehow attracted to Draco Malfoy. His clear silvery eyes and that long chiselled face were just hard to resist. She knew that if Draco were to kiss her, she would give in straight away. No one knows this but Ginny had been daydreaming about Draco since the day he stepped into The Burrow. She imagined how it would feel like if Draco kisses her on her lips. Would his lips feel soft against hers? She visualized how it would feel if Draco touched her with his bare hands. But as soon as Draco said something nasty to her, she would mentally scold herself for even thinking about kissing Draco. Ginny didn't hear what Neville was talking to her about until Ron came into the conversation and broke her thoughts.

"I got an owl from Hermione." Ron began. "She wants me to meet her at the Three Broomsticks this weekend. She said she couldn't mention anything in case the mail got intercepted."

"It has to be something important." Ginny said.

"I don't know." Ron looked out the window and saw Hedwig fluttering his long white wings. "Hey look, must be a note from Harry." As soon as Hedwig perched itself on the window, Ron untie the note on its feet and read it out loud to Ginny and Neville.

_Ron,_

_Did you receive a note from Hermione? IT IS important and you do have to TRUST Malfoy. I flew to Hogwarts and asked her to explain more._

"He flew all the way to Hogwarts?" Ginny stated.

"Shh!" Ron was obviously irritated that Ginny cut him off.

_So let's meet at the place she has stated in your note this weekend. Anyway, how's the interrogation going? Did Malfoy reveal anything major?_

_Harry_

Ron raised his eyebrow in confusion. _I thought he was training today. He has time to see Hermione but no time for the Order?_

He shook off that thought and looked up at Ginny and Neville who was also deep in thought.

"I'll go write back to Harry. It's past midnight though." Ron said looking at the clock on the wall."

"Well then just write a short one and tell him that you'll meet him and Hermione there this weekend." Ginny suggested. Ron nodded and wrote down a reply back to Harry.

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	10. Jilly Prague

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Author's Note: I hope you all still remember Jilly Prague. I decided to bring her into this chapter. She's my original character...A.K.A Ron's girlfriend. This chapter also includes Harry's development. Enjoy! Please leave some reviews in the end. Thanks!!!

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It was a cool and crisp morning. The sky was slightly dark and the clouds looked ready for a big downpour. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat close together so that no one will be able to hear their conversation. The Three Broomsticks had not received their usual crowd yet but the trio was just taking some precautions.

"She didn't threaten you anymore after that?" Ron asked.

"No. Not at all. She didn't even purposely come to me and say anything." Hermione said with a frown. "But what about Malfoy? What did he say?"

"Yeah. Did he give us any clue?" Harry asked.

"Basically, he was just trying to convince us that he is on our side now. He said he will do anything to make sure they he can take revenge on the Death Eaters for torturing his mother and him for years. I can't deny the fact that he looked really worried especially when he talks about his mother." Ron said looking like he wasn't really assured of what he was saying.

"Any information on the Death Eaters?" Harry asked.

"He mentioned that he could provide us with all the info that we need. He also said that he wouldn't mind telling us the secrets that they have been hiding. What they have been doing, their evil plans for all these years…he is willing to share it with us. I could see that Moody was quite convinced." Ron paused and looked at both of them. "But the Order hasn't really discussed anything yet."

"Harry, we have to tell the Order what Natalie told me. Malfoy might be able to figure something out behind it." Hermione said.

"Alright, we'll tell them…tonight. Ok?" Harry asked both Hermione and Ron. They both nodded in agreement. "I'll owl Moody to arrange a meeting tonight…my place. Bring Malfoy along and only members of the Order." Harry made the point clear by looking at Ron.

"Ok ok, I'll make sure Ginny won't follow us this time. You both know she's like that. She wants to know everything." Ron said exasperatedly. Ginny wasn't invited to become a member of the Order but she occasionally sit for meetings although disapproved by Moody. When the trio was chosen to be part of the Order, Ginny was infuriated that she didn't talk to the three of them for a few days.

"Anyway if you both don't mind, Jilly will be coming in a few more minutes. I thought maybe I can introduce her to you." Ron said to Hermione.

"That will be great. I have nothing on today then we can spend the day together…if you guys don't mind. I mean I have prepared all my lessons for the coming week so I have nothing much to do." Hermione said excitedly.

"I don't mind." Harry said feeling enlivened at the prospect of spending the whole day with Hermione.

"Hi Ron." A soft voice said. The trio turned around and saw a pretty lady with straight blond hair that reached her waist. She had the kindest hazel brown eyes. Her face was long and she had high cheekbones. She smiles at the trio shyly.

"Hey Jilly." Ron said his face breaking into a big smile. He got up from his seat and gave Jilly a peck on the cheek. Ron grabbed a chair and placed it in between Hermione and him for Jilly to sit.

"Hi Jilly, it's good to finally meet you." Hermione said.

"Oh no, it's great to finally meet _you_." Jilly said enthusiastically. "Ron has been talking about both of you since we met. Well, not that I have heard nothing about the Golden Trio." She added and all of them laughed.

Hermione liked Jilly straight away. She was a very brilliant woman and Hermione wasn't surprised since she was from Ravenclaw. Jilly was optimistic and cheerful and Hermione could see that she was also confident. Hermione knew that someone like her would be good for Ron. Someone who would keep Ron on the ground and made sure that he wouldn't blow up everytime something made him angry. She blended in well with the trio. They had brunch together and shared a few untold stories of their lives in Hogwarts.

"Oh I've heard that one before and I'm embarrassed to say that I believed it. But hey it's not like it wasn't the truth right?" Jilly said. "I mean, Ron is really afraid of spiders…even now!" Everyone laughed but Ron who was turning redder every second. "Oh come on Ron, I was just teasing you." Jilly said and gave him a kiss on his left cheek and it cause Ron to redden more.

They walked out of Three Broomsticks and the guys walked towards Quality Quidditch Supplies to check out the latest broom. Jilly and Hermione didn't even bother to catch up with them.

"Hermione, can I ask you something?" Jilly asked timidly.

"Of course."

"There is really nothing going on with Ron and you right? I mean this is not the phase where both of you plan to date other people and see whether you both are meant for each other or not." Jilly asked. Hermione had to laugh.

"Jilly…where did you get that idea from?"

"Paranoia? And also the fact that there were a lot of rumours how both Ron and you would hook up after graduation. Hermione, you can't really deny the fact that the 'rumours' were not true."

"Well to answer your question…no and no. I can admit that we both do like each other when we were in school but not anymore. Ron and I decided that we would remain friends a long time ago. " Hermione said reassuring Jilly.

"Ok." Jilly said nodding her head. "Because I'm in love with him. I know it's been only a few months."

"You love him? You sure about that?" Hermione asked.

"Yes of course! Everytime he kisses me I just feel like my worries start melting away and when he is around me, I feel safe and secured. It's just this feeling that is really hard to describe. If I don't see him for a day I will miss him and just hearing his voice enlightens my day even when I'm really frustrated at work." Jilly said with dreamy eyes. Hermione felt a little uncomfortable hearing someone talked about her best friend like that. "Oh I'm sorry." Jilly said noticing Hermione's expression. "It's too much isn't it?"

"A little. But it's good to know that you feel that way about Ron."

"I'm not sure if he feels the same way about me though. I mean I haven't said the L word to him yet and I doubt he's going to say it first." Jilly said and despite feeling a little worried, she laughed along with Hermione.

"Ron is a little daft when it comes to relationship."

"Oh Ginny did warn me about that."

"Just go along with him. I'm sure he will come around soon and realise that he is in love with you too."

"You think so?" Jilly asked hopeful.

"Don't worry alright?" Hermione said when she saw both Harry and Ron coming out from the store.

Hermione noticed that Jilly brightened up immediately when she saw Ron walking towards her. When he stood beside her, he placed his hand on Jilly's waist and gave her a kiss on her cheek. Hermione looked away afraid that she might blush. She turned to face Harry who was raising his eyebrow towards their best friend.

"Let's leave them alone shall we?" Harry asked and Hermione nodded. At the same time, Ron and Jilly said goodbye to them but before they apparated, Jilly gave Hermione a hug and whispered a thank you in her ear.

Hermione didn't notice that it had started drizzling. Tiny droplets of water fall on her face and she smiled to the sky.

"Hey what are you doing?" Harry asked. He removed his robes and covered Hermione and him and dragged her to the nearest shelter.

"Oh come on Harry. It's not everyday we get to play in the rain." Hermione said playfully. She spotted a glass half filled with water. She took it in her hands and splashed it onto Harry's shirt.

"Hey! Now what are you really doing?" Harry asked in disbelieved.

"Oops, might as well get wet all over right?" Hermione asked innocently. "Come on Harry." She shouted and ran towards an open field that separated Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Harry reluctantly followed her.

Hermione purposely stepped on big puddles of water causing it to splash on her shin and her skirt. She spins her self around slowly at first and gaining speed gradually enjoying the tingling feeling when drops of water fall onto her. A few feet away, Harry watched her, amazed that she could find simple things such as raindrops to amuse herself.

"Are you going to join me?" Hermione asked. Harry smiled and ran towards her. He grabbed her waist and twirled her around. Hermione screamed in surprise. They played in the rain for a few minutes and as Harry watched her, he didn't realise that he was falling in love with his best friend.

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CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: Thanks for reviewing! Ooh...did i give you an idea that Harry's wasted...i hope i can change that.

californiagirl1426: Ooh...thanks so much for reading my story! Keep on reading please...


	11. Leer Mente

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter.

**Author's note**: I hope i didn't made a huge gap between the last chapter and this, coz it's kinda connected. If you remember correctly, Harry had called for a meeting with the Order as soon as Ron have confirmed that Draco wants to inform them of a few things and that Hermione wants Harry to inform the Order about Natalie Avery. So enjoy! Reviews at the end please.

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On the night the Order had a meeting together along with Draco, it was drizzling slightly. Most of the members were seated by 8PM. Draco arrived with the Weasleys. This time they managed to restrain Ginny from coming with them to Moody's delight.

"It's not that I don't like the girl…I just want to hold up to Dumbledore's rules. He will never let someone outside the Order to sit for our meetings." Moody tried explaining reasonably. Unfortunately for Ginny, everyone agreed.

"Alright alright. I'll just go to bed now." Ginny said and made her way up to her room.

A few chairs were arranged around the large living room. When every member of the Order had arrived, Moody stood up and announced the purpose of the meeting. Harry saw Draco rolling his eyes and it made him a little bit angry. _Here we are trying to help you but you're just being a nasty ferret!_

"I told you I will do anything." Draco said calmly.

"Firstly, maybe you can tell us names…the people who are involve." Moddy urged.

"Nott, Crabbe, Goyle…and they have recruited more, apparently from all over the world. I don't know how the hell they did that though." Draco said shaking his head.

"Any new weapon? You know…a skill or a new method to kill everyone at the same time or something like that." Neville asked.

"Not that I know of. I knew that they wanted me to be their leader but one of them…he was really suspicious of me. The way he act around me, the way he talk…it causes me to assume that he is the backbone of everything that have been going on these past few years. He doesn't look English though."

"Well start by telling us his name." Harry probed.

Draco gave Harry a looming look and Harry glared at him back. Draco looked over at Hermione who was on Harry's right. _Filthy mudblood_.

"Boone." Draco answered. Everyone turned to face Moody who was in deep thought, his electric blue left eye swivelling around its socket.

"No. Never heard of this guy. What does he look like?" Moody asked.

"About nearly six feet, sandy brown hair, light blue eyes…" Draco said. He closed his eyes and tried to remember any clear details about Boone. "He has a tattoo…on his left wrist."

"What image was it?" Harry probed some more.

"Damn it Potter! I was just getting into that. Stop being impatient!" Draco cried out in anger. Harry clenched his fist and was about to lunge forward to give a hard punch in Draco's face but Hermione stopped him. She grabbed Harry's wrist tightly and pulled him back.

"He's not worth it Harry. Calm down." Hermione said soothingly. Draco sneered at Harry.

"It was a snake. It almost looks like the Dark Mark but I am very sure it wasn't the Dark Mark."

"Well yeah, that's because your arm almost got burned with it." Harry hissed.

"What did you say Potter?" Draco hissed full of hatred for his archenemy.

"Calm down! Both of you! Right this instance! Act like grown ups. You're not in school anymore." Moody said forcing them both back to their seats.

"What else Draco?" Moody questioned.

"Boone was the one who thought the Death Eaters and me the art of mind-reading. He called it _leer mente. _It is suppose to help us to read the minds of people around us…especially enemies so that we can know their next step. He trained us to read people's mind clearly and if we master it well, we might even be able to manipulate them and lead them to their deaths."

"He's acting like he is in charge and I don't understand why people like Pettigrew, Crabbe, Goyle and those other Death Eaters gladly follows what he says. Boone looks like he is a lot younger than all of them. Probably three or four years my senior."

"So have you mastered it?" Fred asked. "Will you be able to tell us how we can do it to?"

"We don't have time for that. It took the Death Eaters and me months to master it and none of us are really good at it. We're not as good as Boone…he took advantage of his skills. He killed one of them when he found out that he was trying to betray them…of course through reading his mind."

"But why didn't he kill you?" Hermione asked. "If what you said is the truth, if you're really on our side, he will be able to read it won't he?"

"Which is why I am confuse right now Granger. He let me off…he might have some other dubious plan that none of us know of. But there is one thing though…a few hours before I made my escape…I saw a glimpse of an old woman in the manor. She was talking to Boone and a couple of guys. They were listening attentively to her."

"Who…" Ron was about to ask but Draco cut him into it.

"I don't know who she is Weasley. I only saw a side profile and it was dark anyway."

"We have to find out who she is." Moody remarked. "Meanwhile, let's just end it here. Arthur, if I could discuss a few things with you?" Mr Weasley nodded. "The rest may go."

The other members of the Order stood up and dispersed. Ron, Fred, George, Bill, Hermione and Draco apparated back to The Burrow. They all landed safely in the living room without hitting anyone. Draco who was exhausted from all the questioning sat down on a chair and buried his head in his arms.

"I made lemonade! It's a muggle drink…and it's fresh!" Ginny said chirpily. Draco got annoyed with her. She gladly hand each of them a glass. Hermione drowned her glass in a few gulps. The Weasley brothers looked at the glass in their hands confusingly. Ron took a sip and then drowned the whole glass and asked Ginny for more. Mr Weasley popped in a few minutes later and gladly drinks Ginny's lemonade. He liked it straight away.

"Draco, I'm sincerely sorry if everything that had happen just now made you tired. We just want to know and make sure that we have the right information."

"I really have given and told you every information that I have. It's really up to you guys." Draco said calmly.

Mr Weasley was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. George who was nearest to it opened it slightly after looking through a tiny peephole. The rest were on their tiptoes trying to see who it was.

"How can I help you?" George asked.

"I believe my grandson is here. Draco Malfoy?"

"What?" George and Draco cried at the same time. George opened the door widely to reveal a petite woman with very white short hair. She was a little on the plump side and she was dressed in the most expensive black winter coat and black boots. She was carrying a small black bag and on her head was an elegant hat. She looked like she was really Draco's grandmother. She had light blue eyes and her hair was the whitest blonde. Her face was wrinkle-free. Draco looked at her from head to toe and frowned.

"You're the woman in the manor…this is the evil witch I was talking about!" Draco cried in outrage.

"Now Draco…what made you think that way? I'm very disappointed in you. You actually grew up to become like your father." She said disapprovingly.

"I'm not like my father." Draco hissed at the woman with glaring eyes.

"Well you have proved to me, I admit it." She tiptoed to look over Draco's shoulders. "Aren't you going to let me in?"

"No!" Draco said.

"Yes of course." Mr Weasley said at the same time. The old woman smiled at Draco slyly and let herself in. She sat down on a chair nearest to the door while everyone simply looked at her wondering who she was.

"Oh how rude of me." She said casually. "I'm Lucius mom, Martha, Malfoy." She said with a curt nod.

"I'm Arthur Weasley and these are my children. That's Hermione Granger, our friend." Mr Weasley introduced. "May I ask what brings you here?"

"Oh I read Draco's mind and found out that he was making his way here."

"Did you use _leer mente_?" Draco asked in disgust.

"Of course, I was the one who invented it and taught it to those buttheads!"

Draco was shocked by her words and sniggered. "Aren't you in the same league as them Afterall, you're my dad's mother."

"You really have taken up Lucius' demeanor Draco and I would not accept it!"

"Who the hell are you to tell me that?"

The rest of the Weasleys and Hermione shifted their eyes from Martha to Draco, wondering what the outcome will be.

"Because you and I, we're going to save your mother."

As the words keep ringing in Draco's ear, he glared at the woman and speculated what were really her intentions.

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Reviews please!

**Author's Note**: Leer Mente are words that i extract out from the Spanish dictionary which directky translates to reading of the mind.

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: I hope it's not that mushy for you...haha. And anyway do get a few poeple to read my stury...the more reviews i have the more fun we have discussing on my story! Thanks!


	12. Childhood Nightmare

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's Note**: Well, since i have time in my hands(I'm actually at work now but then there's nothing much to do at the moment! LOLX!), i thought i should just update so that i won't get anyone in the suspense. And also because the last chapter was a cliffhanger between Draco and his grandmother...so enjoy!

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"You're saying that you're going to help us? Is that what you mean?" Draco asked suspiciously.

"Draco, I can read your mind and I am not a conniving evil witch!" Martha Malfoy said and glared at her grandson. "And you," she pointed at Ron, "should trust Draco. He really isn't really that bad. He really did turn against the dark side."

Ron's neck started to turn red slightly embarrassed that his thought were known. Draco looked at Ron and raised his eyebrow in an 'I-told-you-so' look.

"Draco can I talk to you in private for a few?" Mr Arthur said. Draco nodded and they made their way to the kitchen. "What do you think?"

"I have to admit that she is saying the truth…I can read her mind too." Draco said reluctantly. "If she really wants to help then we get her to help, she's our best shot."

"Alright." Mr Weasley said after some thinking. They both took a few steps to the living room where Ginny was already talking merrily to Martha. Draco rolled his eyes. _Must be the Malfoy charm._

"We believe you. I want us to get to work straight away." Draco said more like an order than a statement.

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The next day, Hermione woke up to a cool morning. It was snowing and Christmas was 10 days away. She jumped up from her bed and woke Ginny up. After the late meeting the previous night, Hermione decided to stay at the Weasley's.

"What is it Herms?" Ginny murmured annoyingly.

"It's snowing Ginny! Come on!" Hermione tied her hair up into a ponytail and grabbed her winter coat. Ginny who was about to get up from bed watched Hermione curiously. A few seconds later, the twins barged into their room without knocking. Fred was wearing his red woolly hat and George had his green woolly hat on top of his head.

"Come on Ginny! Get up! Even Ron is up."

The three of them walked out the door and stomped down the stairs. Draco who was fast asleep was woken up by the noise and he was pissed off. _I can't believe I'm staying with these lunatics!_ He opened his eyes slowly and saw that the trees outside were covered in snow. _What's so special about snow?_ He shut his eyes and tried to sleep.

In the front yard, Fred and George were already snow ball fighting. Fred made a big ball of snow and aimed it at Fred who dodged and it hit Ginny right in the face instead who opened the door to join them. They all stopped laughing.

"Oh you're going to be the wrath of me Fred! Wait till I get you." Ginny said and bend down to make her own snow ball. Fred was already taking cover behind Hermione. "Don't hide Fred…you aren't a chicken are you?" Ginny teased.

"No I'm not. Melissa won't fall for me if I was a chicken!" Fred bellowed. Melissa Harper was Fred's steady girlfriend for two years. She started out as a helper in the Weasley's Wizzard Wheezes and started dating Fred a few months later.

"Then let go of Hermione! Come out and fight!" Ginny challenged.

Upstairs in Percy's room, Draco gave up on going back to sleep. He stood up angrily and opened the tiny window. "Oi! You guys better stop it! I'm trying to sleep here and if you don't…" A big snow ball hit Draco's left cheek when he was about to continue scolding them. He wiped off the chill feeling that was numbing his cheek.

"Oh no Ginny." Hermione whispered.

"Feeling cold Malfoy?" Ginny asked slyly.

"You're going to pay for that little Weasley!" He shouted and slammed the window into place.

Fred, George and Ron broke out into laughter and Ginny joined in. Hermione looked a little worried at first but broke into a smile. "You shouldn't have done that Ginny. You know how he's like. What if he decided to kill you in your sleep? You never know what he is capable of."

"Oh come on Hermione, you have to admit that he deserves it. After all the years that he taunted us to our insanity, it's time that we hit him with something." Ginny said.

"Good morning!" Martha greeted. "I'm sorry about my grandson's outburst. He is really like Lucius…grumpy all the time."

"Good morning Mrs Malfoy." Ginny greeted.

"Oh don't be silly. Please call me Martha." Ginny nodded shyly.

"Now Ginny, try not to offend Draco again my dear. He's a guest." Mrs Weasley advised.

"I was just having fun." Ginny argued.

"It's ok Molly…Draco…he just don't know how to have fun and get excited about simple things like this." Martha started. At the mention of Draco's childhood, Hermione and Ron moved a little closer to Martha. "I'm sure you were the lot he always bullied in school aren't you? Lucius…wasn't a loving father. He doesn't know how to show care and concern. Lucius was the only son, just like Draco is. Forgive him if he's a little…you know…tense or anything like that. He keeps his emotions private."

"We'll get him to open up soon." Mrs Weasley assured.

Draco closed his eyes slowly as he eavesdropped on the conversation between his grandmother that he rarely heard of and the Weasleys and Hermione. Draco did vaguely remember the time when he was about six or seven when his grandmother dropped by at the Malfoy Manor. She wasn't really welcomed by Lucius.

Flashback

"_I just want to see my grandson, Lucius. It has been a few years since I last saw him."_

"_Mother, I've already said there's no need to. Narcissa and I have been taking care of him well enough."_

"_He doesn't have any friends Lucius!" Martha hissed. "You want him to grow up the way you did don't you? You should know your father didn't mean all those things he said about you."_

"_Father is dead; there is no need to mention anything about him." Lucius said monotonously. _

_Draco pushed the door slightly to hear more of what his father and grandmother were arguing about. He saw a sophisticated woman wearing a black dress that reach to her shin. She was beautiful._

"_What have become of you Lucius?"_

_Draco saw his mother making her way to the pair. She looked nervous but kept her composure._

"_Mother, hi, how are you doing?" She greeted._

"_I'm doing fine Narcissa. Thank you." Martha nodded slightly. "I'm here to see Draco."_

"_Oh come on in." _

"_No!" Lucius shouted. Narcissa flinched and Draco put his hands over his ears. "Didn't I tell you to leave mother? We're doing fine without you. Now go before I take any drastic measures to get you out of this house." Lucius said and turned around angrily to leave Martha at the door._

_Narcissa was already sobbing silently. "I'm sorry mother."_

"_It's ok my dear. Just take good care of Draco." Martha said and reluctantly turned to leave._

End of flashback

Draco always winced at that memory. His father had been unforgiving and ruthless and he doesn't want to be anything like him. It had been difficult trying to please his father since he was young. Everything that he did seems wrong every single time. His childhood had been a nightmare.

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Sam: Hey thanks a whole lot of bunch for reviewing! This is great...and don't worry i will keep updating...i won't stop!Promise!

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: Yeah it's kinda like that which is really vicious you ask me...you know killing people only using your mind and not some other kind of weapon.


	13. The Prince of Slytherin

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's note**: I forgot to mention that Martha Malfoy is an original character! So yeah...this chapter is still about Draco...a little more about him and so will be the next few upcoming chapters.

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"Draco, listen to me!" Martha shouted. "You have to be serious about this!"

"I need to get out of here!" Draco shouted back.

Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Ron were in the kitchen when the shouting match began. The three of them looked at each other and shrugged. Ron got up from his chair and kissed his mother and Ginny on their forehead. "I'll try to be back for dinner." He said before apparating.

As soon as Ron apparate, Draco came down the stairs fuming mad. "This is ridiculous. I will not go through with it…you're manipulating me!" He said and went out the door.

"Draco!" Martha shouted to no avail. She looked at both Mrs Weasley and Ginny and smiled at them embarrassingly. "I'm sorry about that…again."

"It's ok Martha." Mrs Weasley said.

Their shouting match had been going on since three days ago. Draco had been taking lessons from his grandmother to use _leer mente_ to his fullest potential. In order to trick the Death Eaters, Martha wants Draco to be able to control his thoughts so that he would not be vulnerable. Draco was impatient and so was Martha. Draco was also stubborn and insisted, to Martha's displeasure that she was just a fake.

"What is it this time?" Mrs Weasley asked out of concern.

"I told him some bad news." Martha started. "It's the only way out if he really wants to let the Death Eaters think that he is in league with them. I told him the news and it freaked him out…and so the shouting began." Martha sighed

"What could be so bad? If he really wants to help Narcissa then I'm sure he will do anything. Right?" Mrs Weasley asked.

Martha looked up at Mrs Weasley and Ginny and smiles innocently. "Apparently not. He…he have to…get married."

"WHAT?" Mrs Weasley and Ginny cried in unison.

"Yes! He has to get married." Martha said. "It's the only way and I kind of promise the Death Eaters that Draco will come back with a bride. And no Ginny, it's not anything like a sacrifice or anything like that." Martha said reading her mind.

"Then what's the reason?" Ginny asked.

"This might be weird but the Death Eaters believe that in order to gain power back, their leader or master must have a bride. It's actually a conviction…well something like that. I don't believe in it but the Death Eaters does. Boone believes that if Draco has a bride by the time he comes back, Draco's and the Bride's powers will give them eternal power that is very much stronger than even Voldemort's. Unbelievable I know!" Martha said.

"Well of course the bride has to be a pureblood…only then it will be powerful. Draco is very special…more than what everybody thinks. He can be a jerk, a pug…whatever you all want to call him. You see, he was born the exact time when the sun and the moon crosses path…the solar eclipse. In Greek, eclipse means abandonment and it basically means that the sun is abandoning the earth. The Chinese believe that an eclipse is the constant incarnation of a dragon or a demon. Ginny is this too much for you?" Martha asked.

"No, please…go ahead." Ginny said realising that her mind might be swarming with frightful thoughts.

"Well…since the Chinese believe that it is the incarnation of a dragon, they make noises by banging on pots and drums to scare the dragon away. In a way, they fear the dragon because they are taking the brightness away leaving them in the dark. Draco was born exactly the time when the moon completely covers the sun…making him very special…he was also born in the year of the Snake. People don't call him the Prince of Slytherin for nothing."

"Wait! How did you know we called him the Prince of Slytherin back in school?" Ginny asked.

"Well…I have my spies." Martha replied embarrassed by what she had done. "He doesn't know this yet but he can be powerful and what would you get when a powerful pureblood join power with another?"

"Can't he fight the Death Eaters with a guy…a pureblood guy?" Ginny asked.

"I'm afraid not. You see, marriage is a great thing. It's more powerful than you think and he can't just marry anyone…she has to be someone he really love…someone he has passionate feelings for." Martha paused and took something out of her pocket. In her hand was a silver necklace with the Malfoy crest. In the centre of the crest was a delicate colourless jewel that was shining beautifully. "I have charmed this necklace so that it will show signs when Draco does have feelings for someone…you know how Draco is so I thought this might help him realise that he might actually have feelings for someone."

"How does it work?" Ginny asked interested.

"It will change colour according to his feelings…just like the colour of flowers and their meaning…you know, red means love, orange means desire or fascination, light pink for admiration and lavender represents love at first sight…and right now…sadly, it's colourless." Martha said and sighed sadly.

"How did you manage to source all these information Martha?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"After my husband died, I travelled the world determined to find answers. I doubt Lucius know how special Draco was but I have this intuition. I know that Lucius have plans to bring Draco into the world of Death Eaters. He is very proud of the Dark Mark that was burned on his left arm." Martha said as tears clouded her eyes. She wiped it hastily.

"Well anyway, I went to China and met a very famous sorcerer. His name is Loke Weng…a very wise man indeed. According to Loke, those who were born in the year of a snake are secretive, double-crossers and are born thinkers. I guess that's what Draco is hearing stories of his mischief in school." Martha said shrugging.

Ginny looked from Martha to her mother. Her heart was racing. She excused herself and rushed up to her room afraid that Martha would read her thoughts. _I have to do some research on this_. Ginny wrote a short note to Hermione seeking her help in this matter.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Do you think I could maybe use the Hogwart's library to do some research on a few stuff? I'll tell you the details later. Seems like there is more to Malfoy than we know._

_Ginny_

Ginny let Pig out of its cage and tied the note to its feet. It fluttered its wings and flew out into the cold weather. Ginny went down the stairs with her winter coat and gave Mrs Weasley a peck on the cheek.

"I'm just going to apparate to Fred's and George's apartment. I'll be back in a few hours." Ginny said and before Mrs Weasley could ask any question, Ginny was gone.

Ginny landed on her brother's living room. Their apartment was quite luxuriously furnished compared to The Burrow. The sofa was bigger and a lot more comfortable. The wall was painted in light blue tones. The twins had bought a small apartment to occupy them both. It was right above their joke shop. When they announced their plans to move out, Mrs Weasley was quite disappointed that the house keeps emptying, which was why she had been holding on to Ginny and Ron so dearly.

"Fred! George!" Ginny called out. She heard the sound of people whispering and then someone giggling. Ginny rolled her eyes knowing that Fred and Melissa must be up to something not good. Being impish as she was, Ginny decide to catch them in the act. She made her way silently to the kitchen and saw a red head kissing a girl. She had her arms around his neck and she kept giggling. Ginny then realised that it wasn't Fred but George and when he twirled the girl around, Ginny let out a loud gasp.

"Oh Merlin!" She cried out. They both quickly broke off the kiss and turned to Ginny. Ginny stared at them with her eyes wide open and the both of them stared back at her in a moment of shock. "George what are you doing??!"

"Hi Ginny." Parvati greeted shyly.

"How long has this been going on?" Ginny asked furiously ignoring Parvati's greeting.

"Only a week." George said matter-of-factly.

"Look Ginny, I'm sorry you have to find out like this." Parvati apologized sincerely.

Ginny keep shaking her head and made her way to the living room. "Oh Parvati! Why my brother?"

Parvati looked at George who just shrugged at her. "I'll let you girls talk."

Parvati sat next to Ginny and placed her hand carefully on Ginny's shoulder. Ginny tensed up and Parvati removed her hand away.

"Oh Ginny…please don't be like this…I…I really like George you know." Parvati said and blushed deeply.

Hearing Parvati's heartfelt tone, Ginny looked up at her. "We only started dating seriously a week ago and we've been on dates a couple of times for the past two months…it's not like I just plunge myself into this. We're grown ups now…I know what's right and what's not."

"I'm sorry…I was just shocked so I reacted that way." Ginny said,

Hearing Ginny's admission of guilt, Parvati smiled in relief. She hugged Ginny and felt her finally relax. "I've been telling George a few times to tell you…especially you. Please don't be angry."

"I'm not. I'm sorry again. But I don't get it. How the hell did George make you like him?"

Parvati giggled and began telling Ginny about the day George captured her heart.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: Oh well...we do have to develop Draco's character right? so i though a memory should be appropriate.


	14. The Unwelcome Visitor and The Snake

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's note**: In this chapter, there will be developments between Hermione and Harry with a surprise visitor installed and also Ginny finding out more about 'The Snake'.

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It was finally a Christmas weekend. Almost all of the students in Hogwarts have made their way home for the holidays. Hermione was packing her bag with enough clothes for the weekend. She was returning back to her apartment and Mrs Weasley had invited her for a Christmas Dinner. Hermione had always love Mrs Weasley's Christmas Dinner. She always felt at home with the Weasley's.

She said goodbye to some of the professors as she made her way out of Hogwarts. Harry had promised to pick her up and get a few mugs of Butterbeer at Diagon Alley before apparating to her apartment. In the distance, she saw Harry making his way through the ankle deep snow. He was wearing a thick black coat and pants. As he gets nearer, Hermione saw that his ears were red from the coldness. They gave each other a hug and apparate to Diagon Alley.

They made their way to the Leaky Cauldron and were greeted with a warm and comfortable atmosphere. They had lighted up the fireplace and the place was decorated with beautiful and bright Christmas trees. Harry and Hermione sat down on one of the private tables and ordered lunch and Butterbeers. They started talking about Harry's plan to join the England international squad for the upcoming Quidditch World Cup. A few days ago, Harry told Ron, Ginny and Hermione that he had decided to accept the proposal and join the squad. He will be flying off to France as soon as the New Year starts which left all of them not much time to hang out together. Ginny immediately conjured a celebration with banners, balloons and a huge cake. Everyone congratulated Harry.

It had taken Harry a lot of thinking in his spacious house to come to this decision. He wanted to be in the squad badly but at the same time, he couldn't bare leaving Hermione. It took him some time to realise that Hermione and him wasn't even an item and that Hermione was unknown to the feelings that he had for her.

"Have you packed?" Hermione asked.

"It's too early Hermione." Harry replied.

"Oh you never know Harry…you might not realise until later that you actually have a lot to pack."

Harry shrugged and took a sip of his Butterbeer. Hermione looked at Harry and smile. _It's so typical of him_. When Harry decided that he wanted to be in the England squad, Hermione was so happy for him for making that decision. She knew that it had been his ultimate dream to play international Quidditch. At the same time, she felt like her heart had dropped when Harry made his announcement. She had been spending so much time with Harry these past few months that she couldn't imagine a weekend without him around. _There's always Ron and Ginny. No wait! Ron had Jilly…which left Ginny…_Hermione shrugged off her thoughts and continue chatting with Harry.

"Oh have you heard? George is dating Pavarti!" Hermione said in delight.

Harry almost choked on his spaghetti. "Parvati? As in Patil?"

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "Oh Harry, are you ok? Hmm…must be a shock to learn that your Yule Ball date is now dating a Weasley eh?" Hermione said teasing Harry.

"Oh no." Harry said putting his hands up like he was caught doing something bad. "I'm more than happy…she's all George's" Hermione had to laugh at his expression.

The door opened and a gust of wind blew a little of Hermione's hair. Without realising it, Harry reached out and tucks the loose strands of her honey brown hair behind her ear. Hermione blushes a little and her skin tingled with Harry's touch. _Why is he doing this to me?_

She looked up at the door to prevent herself from blushing even more. A young man who was taking his coat off stood at the door. His face was very familiar and so was the permanent sulk on his face. When he looked up at Hermione, he squinted his eyes to make sure that he was seeing right. He broke into a tiny smile and so did Hermione.

"Harry look, it's Viktor!" Hermione said. She stood up from her seat and walked up to him. Harry looked behind him and saw that Viktor Krum already was giving Hermione a hug. He felt a twinge of jealousy but quickly hide it when Hermione invited Krum to their table. Harry them remembered that England was due to meet Bulgaria a day after Christmas for a friendly match before the World Cup. Harry gave Krum the tiniest smile when he sat beside Hermione.

"Hi Harry. It's nice to meet you again after all these years." Krum said. Harry noticed that his English had improved a lot.

"Yeah…you too."

"Viktor told me he's here with the Bulgarian team for a friendly with us. How come you didn't tell me?" Hermione asked.

"It slipped my mind." Harry replied.

"So…is the English team ready for us?" Krum asked.

"We sure are." Harry said rising up to Krum's challenging tone of voice. Krum just shrugged his shoulders at Harry. He turned to Hermione and started talking to her like they didn't have eight years separated between them. Harry played around with his food and glared at Krum a few times when he looked at him.

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Ginny was reading a thick book that she had borrowed from the Hogwart's library when she visited a few days ago. As soon as she told Hermione about what Martha had said about Draco, they both searched for books that Ginny could read on.

"Why are you interested anyway?" Hermione asked as she skimmed through a few paragraphs in a book about snakes.

"I'm just curious."

Ginny lie down on her bed and intently read through a few lines.

"Snakes are wise, philosophical, calm, and understanding. They are receptive and physically alluring, often fickle. Success and fame come easily to Snakes. They can be treacherous creatures who delight in intrigue and who wouldn't think twice about double-crossing someone in order to save their own skins."

Ginny paused for a while. _Well that explains everything!_

"Subtle, secretive, elusive and enigmatic, there is an element of the mysterious that surrounds the Snake personality. In ancient Taoism, the Snake is the symbol of wisdom. Therefore people born during the Year of the Snake are said to be endowed with deep philosophical understanding. They are born thinkers who excel in finding solutions to complex problems."

Ginny scanned through a few more lines and stopped at the description on the sensual side of a Snake.

"Snakes are notoriously good looking and like to project the best image of themselves that they can." Ginny realised that her stomach felt twisted. _Well, Malfoy IS good-looking!_

"The Snake personality is described as careful, and when it comes to the choice of a partner these people are infinitely selective. For them, only the best will do. Elegance will be one of the first attractions, but so too is good breeding and delicate manners. When they find the partner of their dreams they will brook no opposition, allow nothing to stand in their way, until they win the heart of the object of their desire. Having won their prize, they then become possessive and jealous, fearful that it should slip out of their hands. Deeply passionate, these are demanding lovers, highly sensual creatures, sexy in the extreme."

Ginny shut the book quickly when she realised that her heart was racing. _Sexy? Highly sensual? Passionate?_

Nobody knew that Ginny have been daydreaming about Draco Malfoy. She forced herself to shook off that thought.

"Ginny! Come on down now for dinner." Mrs Weasley hollered.

Ginny stood up from her bed and looked at herself in the mirror to make sure that she wasn't flushed from all the reading. She opened her door and shut it silently. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She made a sharp turn and was compelled to face none other than Draco. She drew in a sharp intake of breath and placed her right hand on her heart, which was beating furiously.

"Did I scare you little Weaslette?" Draco whispered slyly. Ginny held a head high and sniggered at Draco.

"Of course not!"

"I don't believe you."

"Then just don't."

"What took you so long anyway?"

"None of your business Malfoy. Get out of my way." Ginny shouted.

"As you please." Draco said and bowed to her like a knight to give way. Ginny rolled her eyes and thought about what she had read about the Snake.

Draco watched her walk as her hips swayed gently. _She definitely has grown up_. Ginny turned and looked up at him.

"What?" She demanded

"Nothing." Draco said.

As Ginny continued walking down the stairs, Draco wondered how she would like without that dress on. She definitely was hiding a great figure beneath it. They all sat down for dinner chatting continuously. Fred and George were out with their girlfriends (Mrs Weasley was quite happy to find out that George was dating Parvati), which left Ginny alone with her parents, Martha and Draco. Ron walked in a few minutes later. Ginny raised her eyebrow at him and he gave her a look to tell her that he would talk to her later. Ron sat beside Ginny and start eating his dinner.

Draco looked at Ginny curiously wondering if there was more to this red head than he knew. She was definitely attractive, Draco thought. Her eyes were soft but Draco had seen how it immediately change when she was angry and he though that she look kind of cute when she got angry.

"_Now Draco…if you like her go ahead and tell her."_

Draco turned at that voice and recognizes that it was his grandmother's. She was communicating with him through her mind. He looked fiercely at her and realise that she had been reading his mind. It was stupid of him not to exercise his _leer mente_ skills.

"_I'm disappointed in you Draco, you still don't know how to control your mind."_

"_Oh shut up."_

"_So do you have feelings for Ginny? I like her you know. She's the perfect granddaughter. Smart, pretty, thoughtful and she knows how to cook too."_

Draco had to laugh a little and everyone looked at him. He stopped and his neck reddens a little out of embarrassment. He continued eating and so did everyone when they realise that Draco was not going to give an explanation on why he had laughed. From that moment on, Draco exercised his _leer mente_ and managed to block out his thought to his grandmother. As soon as he was done, he left the table without a word. He made his way up to his room but was stopped by Ron when he was about to open the door.

"Malfoy, I have to warn you. If you keep on eyeing my sister like that…I will personally kill you. Got me?" Ron threatened.

"Oh…you noticed. That's something new. I can do whatever the hell I want Weasley." Malfoy said and slammed the door on Ron's face.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!!!

FYI, all information on the Snake horoscope was sourced from the internet.

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: Well yeah i just want everything to be informational...


	15. True Feelings

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's Note**: In this chapter there will be more progress on Ginny's and Draco's character. The chapter after this will be much longer because I really want to develop both of their characters. So enjoy! And please lave reviews at the end!

I had to make some last minute changes to this chapter because i noticed a few spelling mistakes and etc. I also would like to add that i hope that i'm halfway there. I don't want to write to many chapters so the upcoming chapters will be much longer than before.

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Martha looked at the necklace in her hands in awe. The gem had slowly turned to a very light orange. She got excited and laughed out loud. She knew…she knew that Draco, her only grandson was truly fascinated with Ginny Weasley. Only time would tell how much. She noticed from the way Draco stole glances at Ginny during dinner two nights ago and his indiscipline of not keeping his thought at bay let her be known of the fact that he had been noticing Ginny quite a lot of times.

Martha went out of the room that was previously Fred's and George's and went down the stairs. She was greeted by the smell of turkey ham and French loaf. She held the necklace tightly in her arms and looked around to see if Draco was near. He was sitting with Ron and they were playing some muggle card game that Martha could never understand. She knew that both Ron and Draco were trying to be civilize to each other having living with each other for about two weeks.

She made her way to the kitchen where Ginny was helping her mother with dinner. Ginny washed her hands and wiped it dry with a cloth.

"I'm just going to go wash up before dinner alright?" She asked her mother.

"Of course dear." Mrs Weasley replied.

"Hi Martha, I'll see you at dinner." Ginny greeted when she walked pass Martha.

Martha made her way to Molly Weasley, feeling excited at the prospect of telling her the good news.

"Molly, I have something to tell you. Can we sit down and talk?" Martha asked.

"Of course." Mrs Weasley said and continued wiping the utensils dry while sitting down. "What is it Martha?"

Martha opened her palm and revealed the gleaming orange gem.

"Oh my…Martha…this is good news." Mrs Weasley said and took a peek at Draco who was scowling at Ron. "Who do you think she could be?"

"Well…I am not entirely sure if it's right but…" Martha paused.

"Well? Who is she?"

"It's…it's your daughter Molly."

With that, Mrs Weasley dropped the metal pan that she was wiping as she stared at Martha in shock. Ron and Draco got up from their seat and sneak a quick look at the kitchen.

"What is sit mum? Everything ok?" Ron asked.

"I'm fine dear…just being clumsy." Mrs Weasley replied trying to sound calm. Mrs Weasley recollected herself and looked at Martha. "What makes you think so? Ginny? He's fascinated with Ginny? Why Ginny?"

"I know that this is a shocking revelation Molly but I have been reading his mind. Haven't you notice that he keep looking at Ginny during dinner two nights ago?"

Mrs Weasley reluctantly nodded. "Well I thought it was just my imagination."

"Molly," Martha began and holds her new found friend's hand. "If the truth comes out and that Draco really likes Ginny, I want your permission, and Arthur's, to let him marry Ginny. I know that these all sound weird but I can assure you that Draco is a very irresponsible guy. He is 23 now…not some 15-year-old who I know had criticized your children and Hermione and Harry back then. He is a grown-up now."

Molly sighed and looked at her lap. "I'll ask Arthur…but are you really sure?"

"I am absolutely sure!" Martha said confidently. "And…you shouldn't be that upset Molly. I have an inkling feeling that Ginny is attracted to him too!" Martha whispered enthusiastically.

Mrs Weasley dropped the pan that she was holding on to the second time. "Mother Merlin!" she cried out.

"Ok mum…is there really something wrong over there?" Ron asked.

"No Ron dear…I'm fine." Mrs Weasley quavered slightly.

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"Do you happen to be reading anything coming from my mother's mind?" Ron asked Draco.

"Look Weasley, I don't read people's mind when I don't feel the need to alright?" Draco replied feeling a little irritated.

"Oh come on! You owe me one." Ron argued.

"What for?" Draco scowled.

"For letting you off when I know you have been staring at my sister over the dinner table for the past two nights!" Ron hissed.

Draco raised his eyebrow in surprise. "So?" Ron asked again, determined to get it out from Draco.

"Fine." Draco said. He closed his eyes in concentration. He could hear his grandmother and Mrs Weasley whispering to each other and tried to shut them off so that he can penetrate into their thoughts.

"_Oh dear Merlin, Ginny…I didn't know this sweetheart. What am I going to tell your dad? Why the Prince of Slytherin?!"_

As soon as Draco heard that, he shut off his mind and opened his eyes in shock.

"What do you think you're doing Draco?" Martha asked.

"I think I'll go upstairs." Draco said and glowered at his grandmother.

"Oi! You're not going to tell me anything?" Ron shouted.

"Now Ron, why don't you go help your mother set up the table? Dinner is starting in 15 minutes!" Martha said and pushed Ron into the kitchen knowing that any communication with Draco at that moment might explode the house.

Draco went up the stairs and bumped into Ginny who had just finished showering, her hair was wet and her face was flushed from the hot shower. Draco smirked at her and eyed her carefully.

"_Gosh, what is he doing here? He can't see me in my bathrobe! This is embarrassing!"_

Draco smiled and walked towards her. He sniffed the scent that was coming from her hair. _Lavender, it smells great on her._

"You better get dressed little Weasley. Dinner is almost ready." Draco whispered in her ear huskily. He knew what affect this would have on Ginny.

Ginny felt like she could melt right there and then. _Why is he doing this to me?_ Ginny glared at him and pushed her way to her room. She shut the door close and was breathing hard. _Thank Merlin I have some willpower!_

Ginny quickly got dressed and tried not to think about what happened in that narrow hallway between Draco and her. If she didn't have the slightest bit of her self-control, she might have just given in to dear Draco Malfoy, the boy that she had hated since she met him. Draco Malfoy, the boy that had teased her to no end and trying to make life difficult for her. So why then was she feeling this way for him? She was so attracted to him that she wanted to touch his face and kiss his soft-looking lips everytime she saw him. Since the day she had read about the Snake, all she could think about how sexy Draco really was. She couldn't disagree with the fact that he had been in her dreams almost every night. She went down the stairs and saw that the table was already set up and that Ron was sulking…like he did most of the time.

Ginny sat down on her usual seat. A minute later, Draco joined in and sat directly in front of her. _He's doing this on purpose!_ Ginny could feel herself turning red and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. She felt relieved when everyone started digging in and didn't realise anything. She kept her eyes on her plate throughout dinner and wished that the ground would just swallow her.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: I hope you will like this one AND the next chapter which i can't wait to put up!!!


	16. The Christmas Present

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Author's Note: In the spirit of Christmas i thought that this would be appropriate. It's quite a long chapter and like i have mentioned before, it's going to be long chapters from now on. Enjoy reading!!! Oh, and leave reviews at the end!!!

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It was two days before Christmas and the Weasleys were decorating their home for the occasion. A decent Christmas tree was brought into the house and Hermione and Ginny started decorating it with everything that the Weasleys had from the previous year. Fred and George were creating a ruckus singing Christmas Carols so loudly. Harry, Ron and surprisingly Draco were sitting down playing cards.

"Oi that's cheating Malfoy!" Harry cried out.

"Prove it then." Draco challenged. Harry had to back away because he doesn't have sold proof that Draco was actually cheating.

"Dinner is ready!" Mrs Weasley announced. Everyone gladly made their way to the dining table and got seated. It was definitely a big family dinner.

"I don't know how we are going to fit everyone on Christmas Arthur. Percy is coming with Grace, Fred and George are bringing along their girlfriends…and Ron too." Mrs Weasley said excitedly. "Bill is coming with Fleur and little Michael. We don't have space!"

"Don't worry Molly; we'll create some space then."

After dinner, everyone said goodbye and promised to be at the Weasleys for a big Christmas dinner. Everyone was excited. That night, Ginny lay down on her bed and closed her eyes. _This Christmas is going to be huge!_ Ginny smiled and soon dozed off to a peaceful sleep.

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The next morning, she woke up feeling refreshed. The house was quiet and she felt like it was not normal. She stood up and saw a note scrawled in her mother's handwriting.

_We're going to do some last minute Christmas shopping. Have fun at home!_

Ginny crumpled the piece of paper and destroyed it with her wand. She took her towel and took a long hot shower. She loves taking long baths and showers. It always made her relax. She took her time and dried her hair with her towel instead of doing it by magic. She wore a light pink t-shirt and a pair of denim pants. She went down the stairs to get breakfast when Draco walked into the house covered in dirt and he was sweating slightly.

"What are you staring at?" Draco asked.

"Where did you go?" Ginny asked.

"I just had to go fly for a while. It's so stressful in here." Draco said sharply. Ginny looked at him and raised one eyebrow in a questioning look. "Fine! I got caught into some stupid branches and fell, on a puddle of mud! Happy?"

Ginny tried to stifle her laugh and nodded her head. "Yeh, I'm happy with that. You should ask me along…at least when I'm with you, there is lesser chances of you getting caught in a tree."

"Oh yeah? And why is that?" Draco asked and made his way to the kitchen. He took off his robe that was covered in mud and his pants and shirt was not excused from the dirt.

"This is my playground…I know everything about this area."

Draco rolled her eyes in disbelief. _This girl is so ridiculous…but cute_. Draco tried turning on the tap using magic but failed.

"My dad has charmed it. You have to turn it on the muggle way."

"Your father is a crazy man! Why would he do that?"

"Hey! That's my father you're talking about…well…he just appreciates some things that are muggle alright?" Ginny said calmly, trying not to let her temper show. She turned the tap on for Draco to use. "So…any plans for today?"

"Is it your problem if I do or I don't?"

"I was only asking!"

Draco shrugged and tried turning off the water tap. He twisted the tap the wrong way and end up turning it on full blast. Ginny and Draco tried shutting off the tap but it got stuck. They both were already wet from the water that was spraying all over them.

"Now you see why I said your father was crazy?!" Draco shouted above the noise. He tried to twist it the other way round and finally managed to turn it off. Ginny and Draco moved away from the tap and stare it in shock for a while. Ginny grabbed the towel that was lying on the table and wiped herself dry. She looked at Draco and saw that his right hand was bleeding.

"What happened?" Ginny asked.

"That stupid knife at the table counter sliced my hand alright? It's no big deal." Draco asked and wiped the blood away with his t-shirt.

Ginny moved closer to him and took his hand. "Draco let me see that. I can handle a cut."

Draco looked at her and frowned. "So it's Draco now?"

Ginny lost her temper and let go of Draco's hand. "You know what? I don't know why I even bother being nice to you! You're so full of crap!" Ginny cried out angrily and turned to stomped off. Draco caught her wrist and pulled her towards him slightly.

"Ginny wait, I didn't mean to." Draco whispered.

"So it's Ginny now?" Ginny hissed angrily. "I don't want to talk to you. Stay away from me."

Ginny went up to her room and cried silently on her bed. _I feel so stupid!_ She hugged her pillow tight to prevent herself from crying out loud. A few hours later, she heard her mother and Martha coming home from Christmas shopping. She refused to go out from her room when Mrs Weasley called for lunch. At dinner, she piled her food on a plate and went up to her room ignoring Draco's glances. She did feel hungry and finished up her food quickly. Ginny then brought her plate down, washed it and went back upstairs.

At about ten at night, she went to her cupboard and took out a small pearly white music box. She sat on her bed and opened it, listening to the soft soothing music coming out from it. Her eyes filled with tears and it poured down her cheeks. She heard a click on the door and opened her eyes. A head full of shiny blond hair peered into her room.

"I told you I don't want to see you."

"I'm coming in anyway." Draco said and shut the door behind him. "Are you crying?"

"What does it look like?" Ginny said not bothering to wipe her tears away. Draco stood at the door since he wasn't really invited to Ginny's private space.

"What is it that you're holding?" Draco asked to create a conversation.

"It's a music box…it's from Charlie. He gave it to me a few days before he died." Ginny said and fresh tears flowed down her cheeks once more. Draco stood still, realising that he was not used to this kind of situation. _What should I do now?_

"I miss him so much. I'm always close to him you know, eventhough of the big age gap. He always looked out for me whenever Fred and George tease me to no end." Ginny said laughing at the memory. She blinked back tears as the memories of Charlie engulfed her in a big strong wave of emotions.

She put the music box on a table top and let the music filled the silence between Draco and her. Draco walked towards her bed and sat on the edge. He looked at Ginny carefully. Ginny looked up and met his eye.

"It's going to be ok." Draco whispered earnestly. He moved a little bit closer to Ginny and places his arms around her. Ginny pushed him lightly.

"Don't Draco, because the next morning you're going to pretend like nothing happened." Ginny said, her voice warbling slightly.

"Look Ginny, that was different…I don't want to get you hurt. The Death Eaters were watching me like a hawk, I can't jeopardise anybody's life. But it's different now. I promise." Draco said.

Ginny rested her cheek on Draco's chest and cried. She was overwhelmed by her memories and her thoughts to hide her feelings any longer. Draco kissed Ginny's forehead affectionately and cradled her to sleep.

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The next morning, Ginny opened her eyes to a very bright morning. She brought her blanket up to her face to block the sunlight. The episode of the previous night came flooding into her mind. She got up and saw that Draco wasn't beside her. _I'm going to kill that guy!_ But then, she saw a single white rose and a note attached to it.

_I don't want anyone to go berserk if they saw us together so I left. I hope you don't mind._

_Draco._

Ginny smiled widely and felt herself blush. She doesn't really want an explanation on why everything seems to go this way because she doesn't want to spoil it. She actually felt very happy that morning, more than usual.

She went down to the living room and saw that Mrs Weasley was already unwrapping presents. Ginny joined in and she felt like a little child. She got a set of new storybooks from Ron, a new vanity set from Hermione, a book titled "A Professional Guide to Quidditch" from Harry and last but not least, a big box of new jokes from Fred and George. A few minutes later Draco came in. He removed his coat and places it on the coat hanger.

"Merry Christmas Draco." Mrs Weasley greeted.

Draco nodded politely. "Merry Christmas everyone." He said and looked at Ginny specifically. He went up the stairs and disappeared from view.

"I think I'll go shower." Ginny said and got up from the floor.

"Go ahead dear." Mrs Weasley said. Ginny went up the stairs quickly and went into her room. She opened the door and was greeted with a surprise. On her bed lay a small light blue box tied with a silver ribbon. She knew that it was from Draco. She picked the box up and untied the ribbon. It revealed a delicate silver necklace with a butterfly pendant. A smile crossed her face as she holds it in her hands.

"Do you like it?" Draco asked. Ginny turned to face him and blushed.

"Of course." Ginny whispered. Draco walked towards her and took the necklace from her hands.

"Let me put it on for you." Draco offered. Ginny nodded her head.

"But Draco, this is expensive." Ginny said. She wasn't use to be given luxuries her whole life until today. It was all overpowering.

"It's ok. I want to."

Ginny touched the pendant lightly and beamed.

"It looks good on you." Draco commented.

"Thanks."

"Merry Christmas Ginny."

"Merry Christmas Draco."

Draco bends down and kissed Ginny's forehead lightly. He turned and left the room. He wasn't used to be affectionate because no one had been affectionate towards him. He doesn't know what the right thing to do was and how to do it. It was all new to him. He hoped that what he had done to Ginny was right; that it hadn't insulted her in any way.

That night, the Burrow was bursting with people. Fred and George had brought their girlfriend and Draco was surprise to see Parvati and it was likewise. Ron had finally introduced Jilly to the family and she was welcomed wholeheartedly. Percy had brought his soon-to-be wife and Bill had come with Fleur and Michael.

"Hey what is this?" Percy asked when he got up from his seat. His pants had turned into a slight red in colour. "Fred! George! You're going to get it from me!"

Fred and George were already laughing along with Harry and Ron.

"Oh honey, come on, let me clean that for you." Grace said and pushed Percy lightly to the kitchen. She turned to Fred and George and winked at them.

"That was a good one!" Grace whispered. Fred and George had to laugh even harder.

Draco looked around and felt a bit out of place. Ginny saw his uneasiness and touched his arm lightly. "Hey what's wrong?"

"I'm not used to family gatherings." Draco said.

"Come on, follow me." Ginny said and hold his hand. She pulled him towards Harry, Ron, Hermione and Jilly who were talking in a group.

In the corner of the room, Martha Malfoy was smiling contently. She hoped that Draco would pop the question soon.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: Hey Rochena...i hope u will love this one and you have to let me develop plots and characters first. All action/adventure will come by chapter 20!


	17. New Year Dilemma

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's note**: Hi all, to those who have been reading, this is where the Quidditch match between England and Bulgaria happens! I was so excited when i wrote this chapter. This also where things get kinda complicated between Harry and Hermione! Enjoy reading and please leave reviews...any kind will do. Grammar mistakes? Spelling? ANYTHING!!!!

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"Adams to Hawkes and back to Adams again, he dodged a Bludger and he scores! Looks like Aposto can't handle the Magpie player! 40-0 to England!"

Harry high-five with Adams to congratulate him. He then quickly glanced at Krum who was still searching for the Snitch.

"Another one for England as Hawkes scored the fifth goal!" The commentator screamed.

Over at the stands, Ron and Ginny cheered in delight as England lead the match.

"It looks like the Bulgarian team still haven't improved eh?" Ron asked.

"Oh Hawkes is so good Ron! No wonder he is the MVP!" Ginny praised.

"Of course! He's from the Chudley Cannons." Ron bragged.

Hermione looked at them both in total confusion. She would never understand Quidditch.

"Come on Harry!" She shouted anyway.

"I hope Harry finds the Snitch soon!" Ginny said.

Hermione swelled with pride as he saw Harry circling the stadium to search for the Snitch. It was great to see that her best friend had reached his ultimate goal. She felt like running to Harry right now and give him a hug.

"One more to England! That's 60-0!!!"

"Bogdan passed the Quaffle to Canko and back to Bogdan and they finally score! 60-10! It also looks like Potter and Krum still have not managed to find the Snitch…so who's it going to be? 'The Chosen One' or 'The Best Seeker in the World'?"

Harry rolled his eyes at the commentary. After all these years since the war ended, he was still referred to as The Chosen One. He looked around the stadium like a hawk. He was determined to beat the best Seeker in the world. It was do or die for Harry. He wanted to show to everyone especially to impressed Hermione that he could beat Krum. The match went on for another 15 minutes and England was leading Bulgaria by 160.

"Oh the Falmouth Keeper sure does not want the Bulgarians to score. He's doing a great job! Hawkes scored again! That's his thirteenth!"

Harry knew that if Krum were to catch the Snitch, England will still win the game but he doesn't want that turn of event. He darted to his left as he saw a flicker of golden wings fluttering in the corner. He saw that Krum was making his way there too. Harry flew at top speed and was neck and neck with Krum. They both had their arm outstretched reaching for the Snitch. The crowd, knowing what was happening, erupted in loud cheers.

It was a matter of few seconds and as Krum and Harry was a few centimetres away from their goal; Krum managed to surge a little more and caught the snitch in his hand. Harry felt like screaming in anger. As Krum showed to everyone the Snitch in his hand, the crowd stood up in applause. England had won the game without catching the Snitch.

All 14 players landed on the ground at the blow of the referee's whistle to shake hands with each other. Harry was in a slightly foul mood.

"Hey good game Potter. I'm sure you'll get the Snitch the next round when we meet them." Hawkes said. Harry shrugged at his team mate comment.

They all made their way to the dressing room and changed. Harry knew that his friends will be waiting for him at the east gate. As he made his way to the gate, he saw Krum chatting with Hermione. His heart fell. _First he got the Snitch and now he wants the girl?_

Harry quickened his steps and they both looked up at him. Hermione pulled him into a big hug.

"Oh Harry I'm so proud of you. I'm sorry you didn't get the Snitch." She whispered in Harry's ear. "So…I'm just going to have dinner with Viktor coz it's his last day here. Ginny and Ron are waiting for you over there alright?"

Harry felt his heart falling again. _This is too much_.

"Well, ok. Erm…have fun. I'll see you soon." Harry said instead and made his way to Ginny and Ron.

Ginny saw what had happened and frowned. _Poor Harry_. She saw that Harry keep glancing back to see Hermione walking together with Krum. When Harry reached them, Ron congratulated him on winning but Ginny knew better that Harry certainly wasn't happy. They apparate to Harry's house and hanged out there for a while. When Ron made his way to the kitchen in search for food, Ginny decided to make a move.

"Harry…you do know that I care for you right?" Ginny began.

"Not as much as you care for Malfoy." Harry said chuckling. "I saw how you were acting around him."

"Harry I'm serious." Ginny said swatting his arm.

"Ok…what is it?"

"Look, if you…love…Hermione, you have to tell her!"

"Of course I love her. She's my best friend."

"Oh come on, you know what I'm talking about. Don't deny it"

Harry sighed and looked at Ginny. Here was the girl that he had fallen in love with before and she was giving him love advices. Ginny sure was smart to notice that Harry was indeed in love with Hermione.

"I just don't know what to do alright. I mean…it's Hermione we're talking about. I've been friends with her since I was 11 and now I should go up to her and tell her that I'm madly in love with her?"

"Madly in love?" Ginny asked teasingly.

Harry sighed exasperatedly and messed up his already messy hair. "What am I going to do? And Krum! What if Krum made a move first!"

"We just have to hope that that wouldn't happen then don't we?" Ginny asked,

Ron came out of the kitchen with a plate laden with food. "Turkey hams anyone?" He asked.

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"Potions huh? That's interesting. But I thought you had always like Transfiguration." Krum said.

"Oh well, McGonagall is still teaching that subject and they need a professor for Potions so I just took it. It's definitely the best way to go back to Hogwarts…all the memories…" Hermione said dreamily. Hermione and Krum walked side by side at a park near to the restaurant where they had their dinner.

"So…erm…" Krum said nervously.

"Viktor what is it?" Hermione asked as they stopped on the pathway.

"I…I really still like you, you know."

"Oh Viktor…I don't know what to say." Hermione replied. When Hermione looked up, he saw Krum moving his face nearer to her. Hermione turned away.

"I'm sorry." Krum said a little taken aback by her reaction. "I shouldn't have done that. It's Harry isn't it?"

As his question rang in her ear, Hermione realised that this was the first time she couldn't answer a simple question. Was it really Harry that made her stop Krum from kissing her? She didn't know the answer at all. Her mind was empty.

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It was New Year's Eve and Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Jilly were hanging out at Harry's house.

"Please? 23 years of my life Hermione…and I have never been to a muggle New Year party! I know that there's one downtown and the whole stretch of street are celebrating…you know…doing the countdown."

"But those kinds of parties are filled with drunkards! I don't like them!"

"It sounds like fun…can we please go Herms? If you're not going then none of us wants to go."

"Yeah, it sounds fun. Ron and I are not on duty tonight, let's take this chance!" Jilly said.

"Alright fine…I'll go!" Hermione agreed finally.

"Yes!" Ron and Harry shouted.

"Ginny you should invite Malfoy too." Hermione suggested.

"No!" Ron and Harry cried out in unison again.

"Well then I'm not going if Malfoy is not invited. It's about time you both start acting like grown ups!"

That night, about half past eleven, the group were walking down a street in London. Hermione stay closed to Harry, clutching his arm whenever someone bumped into her. She really hated New Year parties. It had always given her an impression that youngsters took advantage of it to just snog anyone in the street as soon as the clock strikes twelve.

"Thanks for coming with us." Harry said appreciatively.

"I do still not like it alright?" Hermione said and Harry chuckled slightly.

"So…what is going on with Ginny and Malfoy…when did they get close?" Harry asked as he looks back at the both of them who were deep in conversation and then Ginny started laughing at something Draco said.

"Christmas Eve…he…well…she…"

"Alright alright, you can't tell me right?"

"Well…it's not that, I think if you want to know you should just ask Ginny, or maybe you can ask Malfoy, I mean Draco, yourself."

Harry raised his eyebrow in surprise. "So now you're calling him Draco too?"

Hermione nodded her head. "He really has change Harry. He might be a jerk but I mean a leopard doesn't change its spots. He's just used to being mean…he'll come around sooner or later."

"One more minute!" A girl said to her boyfriend. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Let's stay around here. I heard there's going to be fireworks. Hey Gin! Ron! Over here!" Harry shouted. They squeezed their way through the crowd to be nearer to Hermione and Harry. Around them, people were already counting down.

"10…" Harry looked at Hermione who was looking up to the sky for signs of the firework starting.

"9…8…7…" He looked over at Draco and Ginny who he noticed were holding hands. Draco caught him staring and smirked at him.

"6…5…4…" Ron had his arms on Jilly's shoulder, surely getting ready to snog her at the strike of midnight. _What should I do?_

Harry turned back to Hermione who looked back at him. As their eyes met, Harry knew that he should probably try kissing her.

"3…2…1! Happy New Year!!!!!"

"Happy New Year Harry."

"Happy New Year Hermione." Harry felt his face moving closer to Hermione.

"Ooh, this one's free!" A girl suddenly jumped in front of Harry. She pulled Harry towards her and planted her lips hard on Harry's. Harry's eyes remained open as he stared at the girl in shock. Hermione was already laughing hard.

The girl let go of Harry and smiled up at him. "Thanks for being my first kiss!" She shouted and her girlfriends high five her like she had won some kind of battle.

"What just happened?" Harry asked but Hermione couldn't stop laughing.

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"3…2…1! Happy New Year!!!!!"

As he looked at the people around him, Draco smiled inwardly. "So…erm…what exactly should we do now?" He asked Ginny cheekily. Behind Ginny, Jilly and Ron were already kissing like they were the only one standing on the street.

"I don't know really." Ginny said with a shrug. Deep in her heart, she wanted Draco to kiss her right there and then but she thought that playing hard to get would be a little bit more fun. He saw Draco's face moving slowly towards her. She closed her eyes, pretending that she was waiting for him. When he was a few centimetres away from her, Ginny opened her eyes and pushed him lightly.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ginny asked.

"Shouldn't I kiss you?"

"Who gave you the right? Come on you guys, let's go back home." Ginny said smirking at Draco who was dumbfounded.

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Ron kissed his girlfriend slowly, enjoying the sweetness of her lips on his. _Oh Merlin, what did I do to deserve such a hot girlfriend?_

They parted a while but Ron crushed his lips on her in a deep passionate kiss. "Oh Ron…" She whispered through their kiss. "I love you." Ron stopped and opened his eyes. Jilly realised what she had said and cursed herself in her head. When she opened her eyes and saw Ron's face expression, she thought she was going to cry.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that…I mean…I…" Jilly stuttered. Jilly backed away and hurried to walk beside Hermione.

"No, Jilly wait." Ron pleaded. _Oh no, what have I done?_ Ron looked on as his girlfriend walked beside Hermione and she didn't even look back. He felt stupid for not saying anything.

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REVIEW PLEASE!!!


	18. Percy's Wedding & A Whole Lot More

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Author's Note: I'm really sorry this took quite a while for me update. I have been bust at work and was on vacation during the X'Mas weekend! So now that i'm done with work, i thought i could spend a bit of time updating this story. Like I have said previously, i do have chapters written in advance and uploaded but it's just the time i have to update it that i'm worry about.

Anyway i'm glad that there is a new reviewer and i always love new reviewers and WELCOME BACK SAM!!! It's about time! LOLX! I hope everyone will enjoy this one! And please leave reviews at the end!

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"When is the young Malfoy coming back?" Boone asked impatiently.

"Now Boone, all these would surely take quite a while. I have been watching over him and he is coming around slowly…but of course there is no need for anyone to worry." Martha hissed angrily. "Just do your job and make sure Narcissa doesn't escape. BUT…you shall never torture her. We need her to be alive. Do you understand me?"

Boone nodded curtly to the old lady in front of him. She had left almost a month ago promising them a strong leader; a leader that would bring back his bride to combine powers and fight The Order. He had believed her and still does.

"Now go. I'll come back next week." Martha ordered and apparated. She landed in the Weasley's living room and saw that Ginny and Draco was sitting down on opposite ends of the sofa. Draco had his arms crossed while Ginny was sulking.

"Ok what is it now?" Martha asked.

"He was flirting with some dumb girl at Diagon Alley just now!" Ginny replied furiously.

Draco smirked and chuckled lightly. "I wasn't. She was the one who came up to me and started to flirt with me first."

"Oh yeah? Then why did you flirt back you jerk!"

"Why does it matter? I mean you don't even let me kiss you and I don't even know what our status is right now!"

"You think a relationship is all about kissing? You're wrong…it's about connecting!" Ginny fought back trying to keep the tears that were about to spill from her eyes to run down her cheeks. She got up from her seat and ran up to her room. Draco sighed loudly.

"I'm not going to apologize." Draco told Martha.

"I'm not asking you to…it's your decision." Martha said. She squeezed Draco's shoulder gently and made her way up to Ginny's room. She could her muffled sobs from it. She knocked lightly and opened the door when Ginny gave permission. "Hi sweetheart. Are you ok?"

"I will be." Ginny replied.

"You know…I have to give it to you. You actually have been handling Draco well. You have been quite patient with him." Ginny just shrugged.

"Ginny dear, we all know how Draco is like. He'll come around…I'm sure about that." Ginny nodded and smiled slightly. "Have you been practicing?"

"Well, can you read anything?" Ginny asked. Martha looked at Ginny carefully and smiled.

"Keep up the good work. Meanwhile, calmed yourself down, my grandson is not worth your anger." Martha said and they both laughed. "Where's Molly?"

"She's doing last minute preparations for Percy's wedding at his house."

"Alright then." Martha got up from Ginny's bed and made her way to the living room where Draco was still sitting. She took out the pendant from her pocket and saw that the gem was now gleaming red.

"If you don't get your act together, your mother might be dead!" Martha warned.

"This is impossible alright? Who am I suppose to get married to?" Draco asked not hiding his confusion and frustration.

"Well for a start, you don't have to look far. Ginny is right in front of you."

"Wha-?"

"No buts or whats…I know Draco. Don't think I'm stupid. You're clearly in love with her but it's just so hard isn't it? If you're not like my ruthless son, then prove it!"

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The garden was decorated with white and green hues. Rows and rows of peonies decorated the aisle that Grace would be walking down in a few minutes time. Everyone was murmuring excitedly in anticipation of the bride.

Percy was playing with his thumb nervously and keeps turning to Ron to ask for the time. Ron got frustrated and threatened him to stop.

"If you don't keep calm Perce, I make sure Grace won't walk down the aisle!"

Back in the house, Mrs Weasley was busy keeping everything in order. "Mrs Weasley I'm fine. Everything is in place." Grace told her calmly. Mrs Weasley stopped and looked at her daughter-in-law.

"Now don't be silly Grace, you can call me mum now and you should." She said and hugged Grace in a tight embrace. "Ok…I shall wait outside now."

Ginny, Hermione and Lily, Grace's elder sister, gave Grace a last hug and made their way out to the garden as her bridesmaid. Ginny walked down the aisle gracefully. She was dressed in a floor length ivory dress. It has a strapless ruched bodice and velvet flowers around the waist. Her hair was tied up loosely into a French braid.

As she stood together with Hermione and Lily, she felt her heart beating furiously because she was nervous for Percy. No one thought he would ever settle down. Mrs Weasley was the happiest when she got the news. When Grace walked down the aisle with her father, Mrs Weasley and Grace's mother, Mrs Butler, had tears in their eyes. Grace was wearing a simple strapless A-line gown with an embroidered lace bodice and a matching lace sash with a brooch tied around the waist.

When she reached Percy, he took her hand in his and holds it tight. The promise to love each other eternally was exchanged between Percy and Grace and as soon as it began, Ginny realised that the ceremony had ended when they were pronounced man and wife. Everyone in the garden cheered for them and Percy was patted on his back by Fred and George. The setting was magically set aside to make space for a dance floor and banquet tables. As soon as the music began, people were dancing celebrating the wedding.

Ginny walked over to Ron who was sitting alone after Hermione and Harry made their way to the dance floor.

"When are you going to approach Jilly and talk to her?"

"I don't know what to say alright? It's not easy…and she have been ignoring me the whole day…wait…try a whole of two weeks! She ignored me at work and she purposely scheduled her duty hours differently from mine and when I walked into the office, she leaves." Ron cried out infuriately.

"You can't blame her Ron. You said nothing back!"

"Tell me something I don't know Gin!"

"Oh whatever Ron!"

"Look at her! She's talking to some bloke that she just met!" Ginny looked over to where Ron was pointing. Jilly was talking to a guy who was tall and broad. He had the perfect chiselled face that a girl would love to hold. He had brown eyes and blond hair just like Jilly.

"Erm Ron…that's Pavel…her brother?"

"Ouh…alright." Ron said embarrassed that he had jump to conclusions.

"Seeing that she can't find any partner to this wedding, she invited her brother. You're an ass Ron! Get up and talk to her." Ginny pushed.

"Hi…erm can I talk to you?" Ginny turned around and faced Draco who was looking dashingly handsome in a simple tuxedo.

"Oh please, take her away from me." Ron encourages Draco. Ginny walked away angrily and Draco followed her. When they reached the end of the garden, Draco saw no sign of her stopping so he pulled her by the arm.

"Come on Ginny, you can't avoid me all the time." Draco almost pleaded.

"Fine…what is it?" Ginny murmured.

"I'm sorry alright? I flirted with the girl just to see if you'll get angry."

"Merlin, Draco! What do you take me for? A puppet?"

"You can't stay angry with me all the time you know?" Draco said trying to keep his voice down when he saw that some people were staring at them when Ginny started shouting. Draco dragged her in the house where they can talk privately. "You can't blame me either. Be honest with me Ginny, are we even in a relationship? This is really driving me crazy! Why do you girls always do that?"

Despite herself, Ginny chuckled at Draco's frustration. When he heard Ginny chuckling, Draco calmed down hoping that another shouting match would not begin.

"What do you want Draco? Do you want us?" Ginny asked nervously.

"I want you Ginny and I definitely want us to happen. Which is why," Draco paused and pulled something out of his pocket. "Ginny Weasley, will you marry me?" Draco asked as he showed Ginny a beautiful oval with tapered baguettes diamond ring.

Ginny covered her opened mouth in shock. She felt like her breath had caught in her throat. "Draco, are you sure?"

"I'm bloody sure Ginny. I want to make you my wife. When I saw your brother at the end of that aisle waiting for Grace, all I thought about was how you and I will be perfect for each other. You have no idea what you're doing to me…little weaslette." Draco teased. Ginny blushed. "So…will you marry me?"

Ginny nodded and smiled at him. "Yes."

Draco slipped the ring into her finger and kissed her on her cheek. Ginny looked up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him for a kiss, the kiss that she had wittingly put on hold for so long. Ginny felt her skin tingled in excitement at the touch of Draco's lips. When his tongue grazed her lips, she parted willingly and let Draco take her into a blissful moment. _I should have let him kiss me weeks ago._

When they parted, Draco was feeling elated. He brushed away a strand of hair from her face and kissed her lips lightly once more. "So should we tell everyone the good news?"

"Of course. I'm sure Martha has been waiting for this." Ginny said. They held hands and walked towards the group of them who were cramping together for a group photo.

Martha saw them heading towards the group and smiled inwardly. The day had finally come and she hoped that Draco wasn't really like Lucius. She hoped that Draco would be the one to save everyone from the Death Eater's grasp.

"Gin come on! Where did the both of you go?" Hermione asked. Gin stood beside Hermione and Draco followed suit. The cameraman counted down from three and everyone smiled. Draco squeezed Ginny's hand gently and she looked up at him and nodded her head. Ginny called for everyone's attention and they settled down.

"Erm…Draco and I have an announcement to make." Ginny began. Everyone looked at her expectantly and some had a feeling what she was going to say. Mrs Weasley knew that the time had finally come and she hope and pray to Merlin that her sons would not freak out.

"Draco and I are getting married." Ginny said in one breath. She looked over at Ron first hoping that he would not explode. Then she looked over at Fred and George who were dumbfounded. She knew Bill would not disagree because she knows that Bill just wants her to be happy.

"Well?" Ginny asked.

"Congratulations!" Hermione said and walked over to her and gave her a hug. Hermione looked at Draco and held her hand out. "Erm…congratulations…Draco."

Draco looked down at her hand and shrugged. He took it and gave her a firm shake. "Thanks."

Mrs Weasley and Martha had tears in their eyes. Mr Weasley, Ron, Fred and George had an unreadable facial expression but Ginny breathe a sigh of relief when Fred walked over to her and gave her a hug.

"If he ever hurt you, I'll kill him." He whispered into Ginny's ear. George followed suit and they gave Draco a tight and firm handshake. Draco took it as a sign that they gave permission but also a warning that he should never hurt Ginny. Ron was last. Ginny knew that it would be hard for him to accept all this. Draco would never be his friend but now he had to try for the sake of Ginny, his only sister.

"I love you." Ron said as he embraced his sister.

"I love you too Ron. Thank you." Ginny whispered.

"Now you…don't ever hurt Ginny because…"

"Yes yes I get it. If I hurt Ginny you'll come and kill me personally." Draco answered.

As Ron looked into Draco's eyes, he somehow felt that he should not worry too much. He gave Draco a tiny smile and diverted his attention to Jilly. He mastered all the courage that he have inside of him and walked up to her.

"Jill…can we please talk?" He asked.

"I'll wait outside." Pavel said. Jilly nodded and followed Ron. When they were far away from the crowd, they sat on a bench. Ron looked at Jilly and cursed himself. _I don't deserve her. She's too good for me._

Jilly looked beautiful in a lavender chiffon V-neck gown with shoulder ties. The dress reached just below her knee and she looked elegant with her long blond hair tied up into a tight bun. Loose curls were hanging down from her hair.

"Jill, I really want to make this work." Ron started.

"I want it to work too Ron. Tell me honestly, are you afraid of commitments?"

"I don't know. I honestly don't know. I know for sure that I can't afford to not have you around me."

"So I'm just a convenience?"

"No." Ron said quickly. "Of course not. Give me one more chance Jill." Ron pleaded. He moved closer to Jilly and holds her hand. Jilly looked up to his face with tears in her eyes. "Please don't cry." Ron said and brushed away the tears that were already running down her cheeks. He moved his face closer to her and kissed her lightly on the lips. He was glad Jilly didn't move away. He missed her so much but there was just something inside that was stopping him from feeling more. He hoped that he could figure what it was quickly because he knew that Jilly does not deserve to wait any longer.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!

sam: Yeah i thought i could make up some comedy in the story because there won't be much (i think) in the future chapters. Well i'm glad you're back! Thanks!

HyperSquishy: Thanks for reviewing! I love new people who read this because i think that i'll have more fun writing the sory with more people giving me reviews!


	19. The Way You Love Me

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's Note**: There were no review the last time but I'm just going ahead and post this one because i'll be putting this off for a while until i have finish all my exams. But who knows i might be so stressed up with exams that i would put off studying and do this instead! Meanwhile, Happy New Year!!!Enjoy this one and please leave reviews at the end. ANY reviews will do!

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The wedding was scheduled two days after Percy's. Everyone understood now that it was extremely important that both Draco and Ginny to get married soon. Ginny wanted a simple wedding with only family and close friends invited since it was all a rushing matter. It was held at the backyard of The Burrow where Ginny used to play Quidditch with her brothers and Harry when he came down before the school term starts.

It was a little windy but the sky was bright and shining. Ginny was up in her room while Hermione was fussing over her friend's dress.

"You're so lucky to get a wedding dress at the last minute Gin!" Hermione said.

"Oh well, it is Draco that I'm marrying isn't it? What Draco wants…Draco gets.." Ginny replied and Hermione could see that she was a nervous wreck. Hermione sat down on the bed beside her girl best friend and squeezed her hand lightly.

"You do know that you're doing the right thing right? I couldn't read Draco but I have to admit that I think he does care about you."

"I don't know Hermione. What if he's doing all these just to save his mother? What if I'm not even important to him? What if all this is just a convenience?" Ginny said worryingly.

"Hey come here." Hermione said and they both embrace in a warm hug. "It's going to be fine Ginny. I know there were no 'I love yous' exchanged," Hermione looked at her friend with care and concern in her eyes. "But it's all going to be fine. As long as both Draco and you know and feel that this is all right, everything will turn out fine in the future."

Ginny nodded and calmed herself down. She looked out the window and wondered what Draco was thinking of right now. He had been quite angry the day before when he found out that Ginny had been learning _leer mente_ secretly from his grandmother. But he had accepted the fact quite quickly because he knew that if Ginny were to become his wife, she would have to master _leer mente_ too.

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Draco stood at the end of the short aisle waiting for Ginny to come down. He looked at all the faces in front of him and started to feel nervous. He saw Parvati sitting with George and Padma was sitting beside her. He saw Neville, Seamus and some of Ginny's Gryffindor Quiddith team mates that he didn't really know by name. All of Ginny's brothers were present and so did Fleur and her son.

It was all a quiet and personal affair. Ron and Harry agreed to be his best man, not that he really quite need them but his grandmother insist.

"It's time that three of you become…friends. If we want to work together, we have to be able to know each other well and trust each other. Alright?" Martha asked and the three nodded to prevent Martha from lecturing them again.

A few minutes later, Hermione and Gabrielle, Fleur's sister, walked down the aisle and took their position. Draco took in a deep breath when he saw Mr Weasley taking his only daughter's hands in his. _She's beautiful_. She walked gracefully with the bridal march in the background.

Ginny was wearing an off white strapless mermaid gown that Martha had got for her. The dress has a pleated organza-tiered skirt and around the waist was textured floral corsage. Her hair was let down and only held by a small hair pin at the back. Her glowing skin showed little make-up and she was smiling at Draco. Draco smiled back at her. When she reached Draco, she gave her father a hug and he could see that his father-in-law was trying hard not to cry.

Draco and Ginny faced each other holding hands. Draco squeezed her hands lightly and Ginny knew that he was assuring her that everything will be alright. As they faced the minister for the ceremony to begin, Ginny thought that she felt sick and might just throw up. But she took slow even breaths to calm her nerves down. Everything went smoothly. Then the familiar words that she just heard two days ago at Percy's wedding was directed at her.

"Do you Ginevra, take Draco, as your lawfully wedded husband, to be one heart and one soul, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?" The minister asked. Draco raised his eyebrow in question at Ginny. She smiled sweetly and Draco breathes a sigh of relief. At the back of his head, Draco was truly afraid that Ginny might change her mind.

"I do." Ginny replied.

The minister then turned to Draco and asked the same question. "…from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

"I do." Draco replied clearly. He winked at Ginny and smiled. Ginny smiled back and she was partially relief that at least, Draco was a fun guy to be around if he wasn't being annoying.

"And now, I pronounced you husband and wife." He smiled at both Draco and Ginny. "You may now kiss the bride."

Draco lifted Ginny's face slightly up to his and gave her lips a tender kiss. Ginny closed her eyes and felt his soft lips against her. In the background, she could hear people cheering and clapping for them. Draco let go of Ginny and they both turned to the small crowd who was waiting to congratulate them.

Martha was first in the line. She was obviously happy and there were tears in her eyes. "I'm so happy for the both of you!" She cried out kissed both of them on the cheek to where Draco feel disgusted and wiped the wetness from his cheek. Martha rolled her eyes.

"Oh, congratulations Ginny!" Hermione greeted breathlessly when she reached her. Parvati and Padma joined in and they were soon embraced in a group hug. Ginny was all smiles throughout the day. Draco whose friends and relatives were not invited to the wedding was beside Ginny the whole day. He suddenly feel that Ginny was all he needed in this world to stay happy.

Martha of course has been nagging him to be friendlier towards Ginny's friends but the thought of being friendly towards all these Gryffindor just disturbs him. He had never been friendly to them and if he had to do it for the sake of Ginny then, he'll try. He smiled at everything they say and found them actually quite endearing. They were mostly cheerful and funny especially Seamus whom Draco labelled as the 'Irish Leprechaun'. Draco swears that he doesn't have an ounce of sadness in his life. The guy was happy always. But then, he changed his mind when Seamus talked about Dean Thomas.

"I wished Dean could be here…eventhough…you're married to a Malfoy." He said. "I mean no offence of course. I hope you know what I mean." He said to Draco. Draco just shrugged knowing that it was also hard for them to accept that Ginny, the most attractive Gryffindor was now married to a Slytherin, not just a Slytherin but a Slytherin that every Gryffindor loathed.

"None taken." Draco said.

Everyone was still coming into terms to what was actually happening. They could see that Ginny and Draco looked happy together. When they were left alone, they were always holding hands and Draco would be whispering in her ear. Ginny would laugh and then Draco would either kiss her on her lips or her cheeks. It seems like Draco couldn't get enough of her.

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Hermione watched Ginny and Draco at a distance and just smiled. _She looks truly happy_. She looked around and saw that almost everyone was paired up. Ron had made up with Jilly, George was kissing Parvati, Percy with Grace, Fred with Melissa and even Seamus now was flirting with Padma.

But then she spotted Harry who was sitting alone at the table with a glass of wine in his hand. He looked exceptionally good-looking (not that he wasn't always) with his tuxedo on. She caught his eyes and smiled at him. He was about to approach him but Ron got there first to chat with him when Jilly made her way to the washroom.

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"Well?" Ron began.

"Well what?" Harry asked.

"Have you talked to her? Our Hermione?"

A few days ago, Harry finally had the courage to tell Ron that he was falling in love with their best friend. Ron was shocked at first but then shrugged it off and told Harry to better make a move first because he heard from Ginny that even students at Hogwarts were attracted to her.

"How did Ginny know?" Harry asked when Ron told him.

"She met Hermione at the Hogwarts' library weeks ago. She said the guys there; especially seventh years are practically bloody ogling at her. I can't blame them Harry, Hermione's now a hot chick mate! You better act fast!" Ron advised.

Harry sighed remembering that fateful day when he finally told Ron. "No I haven't talk to her."

"Don't chicken out Harry. She's all alone now and you might not know…maybe she's waiting for you to approach her."

"This is…"

"Hermione we're talking about, yeah yeah I know." Ron said finishing Harry's sentence. "She's coming and Jilly's back. So I'm going to leave both of you alone." Ron got up from the table and Hermione sat on the chair beside Harry.

"Hi." Hermione asked suddenly nervous. Unknown to Harry, Hermione actually learnt from Ginny that Harry had been trying to tell her that he liked her. Ginny let out in frustration after getting into a heated argument with Harry. It was of course about how Harry was being stubborn for not wanting to tell Hermione that he liked her.

Hermione took the information to her advantage and thought about it. The next day, she owled Ginny and got a squealing Ginny at the front door of her dormitory the next hour.

"Oh Hermione this is great! So you really think you're falling in love with Harry too?"

"I don't know Ginny." Hermione said.

"Oh don't back out now Hermione. Harry's a great guy! Of course you'll love him."

Hermione thought back to that day when Ginny advised her on what to do. She looked at Harry now and feel like she was about to back out.

"Hi." Harry replied. "You look beautiful today."

"You mean I don't every other day?" Hermione asked and received a quick reply from Harry.

"Oh no…no that's not what I meant." Harry replied afraid that he might have insulted her.

"I was joking Harry." Hermione said with a sly smile. Harry chuckled nervously. "So when are you planning to tell me?" Hermione blurted out before she got the chance to back out.

Harry felt his heart beating furiously. _Tell her what? How the bloody hell did she know?_ Harry pretended to look confused

"Tell you what Hermione?" Harry asked.

Hermione shifted her eyes to the floor. "Tell me that you like me?" Hermione felt like melting to the floor as soon as she said that. They both went silent and only laughter and music was heard around them.

"Ginny told you didn't she?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded her head. "She must have because she was screaming at me about it a few days ago. I really wasn't trying to pick up a fight with her, I really don't know what the problem is…it was really stupid and…" Harry looked up and saw that Hermione was frowning a little, definitely disappointed at him for blabbering. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Hermione felt like she had made a big mistake. It looked like Harry wasn't going to admit anything. She felt like her heart was smashed into pieces and it really really hurt. She got up from her chair to leave but Harry stopped her.

"Hermione wait! Can we talk? Somewhere else?" Harry pleaded and he was glad when Hermione nodded and followed him to the living room. They sat side by side on the tiny sofa and Hermione waited for Harry to say something.

"Harry, when are you going to start talking?" Hermione asked.

Harry's neck turns red slightly. He turned to look at Hermione. "Hermione, I'm really sorry about everything. Ginny's right and I ought to let you know about it in the first place but I'm scared that you would freak out!"

"What made you think I will?"

"You don't think it's weird? I mean we have been friends half of our lives and it's just weird alright? The point is I'm afraid that you won't feel the same way."

"Harry, if I don't like you the same way then why would I be doing this? Do you know it took all the Gryffindor courage that I have in me to come and talk to you?"

"I know I know but…wait a minute! Did you just say…"

"Yes Harry, I said it." Hermione said patiently.

"Wow." Harry said with a surprise expression on his face and his heart jumping with joy. _She likes me!_ Harry looked into Hermione's eyes and smiled warmly at her. He took her hand in his and kisses it lightly. "Do you think we can make this work?"

"Is that a challenge?" Hermione teased.

"I don't know. Maybe…we can start by you know…kissing?" Harry asked and winked at her. He leaned on Hermione lightly and cupped her face. Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry's neck to pull him closer. When their lips touch, Hermione felt like this was all she need. Harry felt a jolt in his chest when he kisses Hermione, something that he had not felt before when he kissed Cho or Ginny.

Harry kissed her lips, her eyes, her nose and her cheeks. He didn't really care if anyone walked in because at this moment, he finally got everything out of his chest. He felt even better after knowing that Hermione felt the same way. Right now, it was all about Hermione. How she sighed when he kissed her and the way she looked at him like he was the most important person in this world made him realise that nothing else matters.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!


	20. Tapa Disfrazar

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's Note**: Well as usual, i got so stressed up with studying that i decided to post Chapter 20. I'm not sure where dear Rochena went to because no one has been reviewing this story since Chapter 18 and it's kinda sad. But i just want to finish this story...that's my aim.

In this chapter, Ginny will have her first encounter with the Death Eaters and Hermione and Harry will be saying goodbye to each other. So enjoy! AND PLEASE leave reviews at the end!

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The day after the wedding, Ginny was packing her bag. Mrs Weasley came into the room and smiled at her.

"How's the packing going my dear?" She asked.

"Mum, I will be fine alright? He's going to take good care of me." Ginny said trying to assure her mother.

"Well, why can't a mother be worried about her only daughter?"

Ginny hugged her mum tight and cried. "I promise I'll owl as much as I can ok?" Ginny managed to say in between sobs. Mrs Weasley and Ginny wiped their tears off and went down the stairs where Martha and Draco were waiting.

"We better get going…but before we do," Martha paused. "You need a disguise Ginny. I'm sure some of the Death Eaters know who you are. The red hair and the freckles would give it all away." Martha commented.

"But it's the red hair that got me attracted to you." Draco whispered disapprovingly.

"How are we going to do that?" Ginny asked curiously, ignoring Draco's words.

"I'll fix that for you." Martha said confidently. She took out her wand and stood in front of Ginny. With a gentle flick of her wand, she muttered a spell clearly. "_Tapa disfrazar_."

Draco, Mrs Weasley and Ron looked at Ginny and saw that she was still a red head. She still had the same freckles and the same face.

"I don't think it work." Draco said.

"You're really never going to trust me aren't you?" Martha asked her grandson. "Look at the mirror Ginny." Martha said ignoring Draco's glare.

Ginny walked to the nearest mirror on the wall and gasped. She does look different. What she saw in the mirror was quite unbelievable. Her hair was blonde and short and she had the clearest pair of blue eyes. The Weasley signature freckles were gone. Her eyes were smaller and they look more cunning but it was attractive nevertheless. She was a bit taller and her figure sexier. Her lips were full and wide.

"What did you do to me?" Ginny asked. As Draco, Ron and Mrs Weasley looked in awe, Ginny then realised what Martha just did. "Only my close family members and friends will recognize me won't they?"

"Yes they will. Outsiders and enemies will never get to see how the real you look like and not only that, because, those who you want your real self to be hide from will also see what you saw in the mirror. You're basically covering your disguise…it's a double disguise."

"Not bad." Draco commented.

"This is really incredible." Ron said as he kept on staring at the mirror.

"Alright, no more staring because it's time." Martha announced. Ginny hugged her mother and brother goodbye. "Ready?"

Ginny and Draco nodded. Draco took her hand and held it gently, assuring her that everything will be fine. Ginny gave her family one last smile and apparated with Draco and Martha. When she opened her eyes a few seconds later, she was in a dimly lit living room and it was the biggest that she have ever laid eyes on.

It was circular with a few sets of the most luxurious sofas. A crystal chandelier was hanging high up in the ceiling and it covered the whole dome. The floor was carpeted with thick and soft wool that tickled Ginny's feet. A circular staircase covered the left wing of the living room.

"It's about time." A voice greeted them. A guy with dirty blond hair emerged from the shadows behind the curtain and revealed himself. From the description that was given to her, Ginny was sure that the guy that was standing a few feet away from her was Boone. "Welcome back Mistress, Master…and of course, young Mistress." He said in a low tone voice and bowed his head slightly.

Draco eyed him in hatred and smirked. "Let me introduce you to my wife. This is Giselle." Ginny tried putting on a straight face. She nodded curtly to Boone who bowed his head with respect.

"Mistress Narcissa Malfoy has been waiting for your arrival Master. She's in her room."

"I trust that she was well taken care of." Draco said and Boone nodded his head. "Bring me to her."

They made their way up a few flights of stairs and turn a few corners. Ginny have heard rumours of how big the Malfoy Manor was but she didn't know that it was this big. She knew that she had to learn al these turns or she mght just get lost in the new house. They reached a wooden door and Boone leave the three of them to visit Narcissa. Draco opened the door and saw his mother sitting on a chair looking at the mirror. She was combing her long blond hair and when she saw Draco's reflection in the mirror, she smiled widely and rushed to hug her only son.

"Oh my Draco, I miss you so much." Narcissa said with tears in her eyes. Draco hugged his mother tight.

"I miss you too. I'm so glad you're fine."

At that moment, Ginny saw another side of her husband that she had never seen before. Ginny saw Draco as a son that truly cares and loves his mother. No one had ever had that idea imbedded in their head back in Hogwarts. He was deemed as arrogant and selfish.

"Meet my wife mother. This is Giselle." Draco introduced. They decided that Ginny's disguise remain unknown to Narcissa. They felt that it would be better if the disguise only stay between the three of them. Ginny smiled at Narcissa politely. Narcissa took her hand and pulled her into a hug. When they drew apart, Narcissa looked at Ginny carefully.

"Well well. Draco will be Draco wouldn't he? She's beautiful." Narcissa praised and Ginny could feel herself blushing. "Welcome to the family Giselle."

Narcissa turned to Martha and tears formed in her eyes. They embraced each other in a hug and soon were sobbing in each other arms.

"Did they hurt you? I'm sorry I have to put you through all these Narcissa."

"It's ok mother. I'm fine, I really am."

The four of them went out of the room after they were told that it was time for lunch. Ginny was a little nervous being around the new surroundings but whenever she felt Draco beside her, she felt calmer. As soon as they reach the base of the steps, a loud cry broke out.

"Ow! What do you think you're doing? You're hurting me!"

"This is too much Pettigrew. What do you think sneaking around like that, the master is back!" Another voice hissed which Ginny recognizes as Boone's. At the sight of Pettigrew, Ginny flinched a little remembering how he had hurt Harry back in the fourth year. Draco placed his arms lightly around her waist and Ginny smiled at him appreciatively. Draco cleared his throat when Pettigrew and Boon came into view.

They both stopped in their tracks and immediately bowed their head to Draco. Ginny recognizes it as a fear; fear of Draco banishing them. She didn't really now what made them respect Draco so much but when she heard Pettigrew's mind grumbling about how these was all a waste of time and that Draco would never be as good as Lucius, Ginny got angry. Ginny knew that Draco heard it too when she saw his jaw tightened and she knew that it only meant that something had angered Draco.

"Let me see that." Ginny said to Pettigrew.

"I'm alright mistress." Pettigrew mumbled.

"I can fix what you broke." Ginny said firmly. Boone nodded his head to Pettigrew and he immediately but with difficulty showed his arm to Ginny.

Ginny drew out her wand and aimed it directly above Pettigre's shoulder. "_Ferula_." Ginny said clearly. A sling was conjured and it wrapped around Pettigrew's broken arm. "Now a Skele-Gro potion will do some good."

"Thank you mistress." Pettigrew said and bowed so low he almost touch the ground. He then scurried off in the opposite direction. Draco walked towards Boone and asked him what had happened.

"He was just being nosy. He claimed that he heard a sound in the corner of the waiting room and went to check on it. I saw nothing." Boone said obviously not believing Pettigrew.

"Now I would like you to keep an eye on him because I don't trust him. Got that clear?" Draco asked and Boone nodded appreciatively. "Now go and leave us alone."

Draco thought that by pretending that he trusts Boone would do him some good. He then turned to Ginny and his mother. "Let's have our lunch shall we? I have so much to share with you mother and I'm sure you want to get to know my wife better."

"That would be great Draco. Come, let's go."

As they made their way to the dining room, Ginny couldn't help it but felt like a warmth bubble have just burst in her stomach whenever Draco keep referring her as his wife. Not that she wasn't but seeing the event that had turn out since Draco stepped into the Burrow, she still couldn't believe that she was married to the boy that she have swore to loath all her life.

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"Aren't you going to say goodbye to me properly?" Harry asked as he cuddled Hermione on the sofa. Hermione blushed and leaned in closer to him. She kissed him tenderly on his lips and when Harry kissed her back, she had to sigh in content. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too. Hopefully I'll be busy at Hogwarts so that I won't feel too much of it." Hermione said.

They both got up from the sofa when they heard a couple of footsteps making its way towards them. The England Quidditch team were given the luxury of a huge hotel in Diagon Alley before they left for France. They were allowed to bring friends and family to hang out together. If the team gets to the final, they will be away for at least a month to compete.

Harry had spent his last day with Hermione by hanging out and simply just talk. This was one thing he loved about her. He could just hold her in his arms and let the day pass by without any worries. Her constant chattering suddenly sound like music to his ears. It used to be annoying hearing Hermione talk. All those constant reminders to study back when they were studying would always drive Ron and Harry up the wall. But it was different now. Hermione was his girlfriend.

"Come on mate, it's time." Hawkes said. "Adams! Come on! Where's Hamlet? Hamlet! Don't tell me he sneaked off with his fiancé! Potter have you seen him?" Harry looked at his captain and had to stifle a laugh. Hawkes was really like a mother hen when it comes to the team. He was truly dedicated but sometimes he was too serious and tense.

"Hawkes mate, he's right behind you." Harry pointed out.

"Oh ok…I was just checking you know. Ok all of us are here. We're travelling by Portkey. Everyone stick together!" Hawkes ordered.

"Is he always this tense?" Hermione asked softly.

"He's just stressed up." Harry said shrugging.

"Tell him to cool it Harry. He looks better when he is relax." Hermione said. She was absolutely right. David Hawkes was a really handsome young man. He had the warmest brown eyes and his face was that of a superstar. The super good-looking features had always got him into trouble with girls. Not that he was a player, but his girlfriends always end up breaking up with him because he had too much girls hanging around him. They all got jealous and thought that he love the attention. He didn't really like the attention though. He always tells his friends that he rather girls like him because of his Quidditch talents than his looks.

"I will. Goodbye now. I'll promise I'll owl you as often as I can…and you have to give me any updates if you hear anything about the Death Eaters. Hermione are you listening to me? I don't want you to get hurt." Harry asked when he saw that Hermione was not really paying attention.

That was because Hermione was mesmerized by the way Harry was looking at her right now, his eyes full of concern and love. She wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and kisses him. Harry was taken aback by the sudden move but it definitely didn't make him push Hermione away. He kissed her back tenderly, loving the taste of her soft luscious lips on his. When they parted, Harry gave her one last kiss on her right cheek. "Take care."

"I will Harry. Don't worry…and we'll see you if England gets to the finals."

Harry walked away backwards, taking a last look at his girlfriend. He still couldn't believe that he was calling Hermione his girlfriend. It was quite unreal and he had to let himself be around her to believe it.

Hermione waved to her boyfriend and slowly saw him disappear into a tiny figure as the team walked into the horizon. She too couldn't quite grasp the idea that Harry was her boyfriend. She was about to make her way to Hogwarts when someone caught up with her.

"Hi, Hermione right?" A lady with nice brown hair asked. Hermione recognized her as Hamlet's fiancé and nodded.

"Yes. Tosha right?"

Tosha nodded her head enthusiastically. "You dropped this at the sofa." Tosha said handing Hermione a bunch of keys.

"Oh Merlin, thank you so much. I'll be in trouble if I lost this. Thanks again."

"No problem. I heard that you're teaching at Hogwarts. Are you heading there now?"

"Oh yes. I have lessons to prepare."

"Well…I thought that maybe we could have lunch together…you know get to know each other?" When Hermione looked at her confusingly, Tosha smiled. "Well you see, none of the team's girlfriend dare to talk to me and I don't quite know why and I see that you're the friendliest so I thought I can hang out with you."

Hermione looked at the lady in front of her. She had the nicest pair of hazel and round eyes. Her brown hair was tied into a bun and she seems to have a smile on her face all the time. _Why would no one like her?_

"That would be nice but I won't be able to today. Maybe we can meet next weekend?"

"That would be great. I'll see you right here next weekend then."

They both agreed and Hermione made her way to Hogwarts with the transport that she had arranged the previous day. She would hate to fly so she had a carriage to get her to Hogwarts. As soon as she stepped in to big hallway of Hogwarts, Hermione quickly made her way to her room. What she saw shocked her.

Papers and books messed the floor. Her wine glass and a few bottles of Firewhiskey and Butterbeer were smashed and it wet the carpets on the floor. Her closet where she keep her books was wide open and her clothes strewn on the floor. Her favourite sofa by the fireplace was slashed with a knife. Hermione felt hot tears in her eyes. Who would be so cruel and do this to her?

"Oh Professor Granger there you are. I was looking for you and…" Professor McGonagall had to stop talking when she saw the sight of Hermione's room. "What happened?" she gasped.

"I'm not sure headmistress. I came back and this greeted me." Hermione said trying to calm herself down.

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**Author's Note**: _Tapa Disfrazar_ is simply translated to covering disguise in spanish.

REVIEWS PLEASE!!!


	21. The Signs of Danger

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's note**: Exams are finally over!!! Woohoo!!! I'm totally psyched to be starting this again! Well anyway, this is so far the longest chapter i have written. Please do not be surprised with the content in this chapter. Please read it to find out more! And do leave reviews at the end!!!

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"Professor Granger, why did you keep that piece of information from me? I may not be attending all the Order's meeting but I surely have Moody update me every single time." McGonagall said. Her lips were tightly closed and her expression was a little angry. "This is serious."

"But headmistress we don't know who did that to my room. We wouldn't know if it was Natalie Avery. She might have given me that warning about two months back but since then she hasn't." Hermione said hoping that it will calm McGonagall down.

"We just want to take precautions Professor Granger." McGonagall said. She sighed and looked out the window. "Meanwhile, I suggest you head back to your room…and let me give you a warning that no information of this kind will be kept away from me from now on."

Hermione nodded and made her way out. She descended the circular stairs and walked straight to her room. She sat on her bed and looked around at her messy room. She began to clean things up with the help of some magic.

"_Reparo_." She chanted and the bottles of Firewhiskey, Butterbeer and a few wine glasses fall back into place. She enchanted a few brooms to sweep up the mess. After she was done, she saw that it was almost 10PM. She felt tired and unmotivated and wished that Harry could be here to comfort her. She heard a tap on the window and spotted Hedwig. She untied the note on his leg and let him chew on some biscuits while waiting for Hermione to reply to the note.

_Hi Hermione,_

_I'm well and safe in France now. The weather is a little chilly here and Hawkes made us train so that we could get use to the weather. I already miss you and only a photo of you could give me the warmth back into my heart._

_I hope everything is going well at your side and remember…no secrets alright? Meanwhile, take care._

_Love, Harry_

Hermione smiled as she finished reading the note and remember back that day when they took a photo during Ginny's wedding. She had the exact photo and took it out from her pocket. Harry had his arms around his shoulder and they were smiling to each other. Harry then lean closer to Hermione and gave her a peck on her right cheek. Every single time Hermione looked at the photo, it never fails to make her blush.

_Dearest Harry,_

_I'm doing ok here. Everything is alright. There is really nothing to worry about. You should concentrate on your training and win the cup for England this time around. I'm sure you don't want to lose to Viktor again._

Hermione smiled as she remembered the disappointment in Harry's eyes when Viktor Krum got the snitch during their friendly match. She continued writing on the parchment.

_I miss you too and yes I have the exact same photo to keep me reminded that you care for me. Take care Harry!_

_Lots of Love, Hermione_

Hermione tied the parchment to Hedwig's leg and it immediately set off on a long jouney to get the note to Harry. Hermione decided that it would be best to not let Harry know about what just happened. She thought that she could tell Ron instead or maybe Jilly since they are both Aurors.

She made her way to her desk and took one hour to prepare her class for the rest of the week. It wasn't easy as she kept thinking of how someone could enter her room and messed it up. This person surely disliked her and wants to destroy her property. After she was satisfied with what she had prepared, Hermione switched of all her lights but she let the fireplace remain burning. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to a disturbing sleep.

---

"Anyone besides Miss Lindt to answer my question? Hermione asked and was disappointed when no one else put up their hand. She looked at her seventh years and sighed. "Have you all done any revising?" She asked all ten of them. They were her best Potions student and will be taking the N.E.W.T.S at the end of the school year. They were chosen by her and McGonagall. They looked down in embarrassment.

"Fine! Miss Lindt?"

"It's a love potion Professor and the longer it is kept, the more stronger it gets." The Ravenclaw answered meekly.

"Good…now I'm very disappointed in all of you. You're my best students and I think it's time that everyone listen up and buck up. I'm sorry I have to do this to you Miss Lindt, but I want everyone to write a two-foot essay on this potion and it shall be handed up to me by your next lesson."

"I got Quidditch practice tomorrow." A boy from Gryffindor whispered to his partner, displeased with Hermione's punishment.

"Well I guess it's not my fault then is it Mr Pennant?" Hermione asked. The Gryffindor looked embarrassed.

"Class dismissed." Hermione said when the bell rang. She slammed the door when all ten of them leave the room. She packed her stuff and got ready for the first years to come in. She was in a bad mood and tried her best to not let the first years be under tortured under her anger. She was glad everything went quite well except for a few mishaps when a boy from Ravenclaw got his hand burnt and a girl in his second year class got her hair on fire.

At the end of the day, after dinner, Hermione get into the comfort of her room to read a book. It was the only way that could make her forget the entire happenings in the day. She was surprised that she didn't see Natalie Avery during dinner. A couple of her friends were missing too. She had really hoped that Natalie had nothing to do with what happened in her room a few days ago. She had owled Ron and informed him about the incident and made him promised that Harry will know nothing about this.

Ron said that he would investigate and gather information on any history about the Avery family to see if any connection could be found. Hermione shut her book when the clock strikes midnight. She dozed off quite easily not realising that the day had been long and tiring.

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Ginny stared at the ceiling of the huge bedroom. It was almost midnight and there was no sign of Draco anywhere in the house. He had left early that morning and had not come back since then. Martha was gone too but Ginny managed to catch up with her at noon.

"Draco is a little busy sweetheart." Martha had replied when Ginny asked about her husband's whereabouts.

"But what could he be busy with? He has not filled me in with anything since we came here three days ago. I rarely see him and he always come into the bedroom past midnight. What's going on?" Ginny demanded.

"I'm sorry dear but when the time comes, he would let you get involved, I promise." Martha said and apparate.

Ginny got impatient and get out of the room. She made her way to the kitchen to get a glass of water. _What have I got myself into? _Her days were spend with Narcissa who practically dragged her out of the room. Ginny didn't mind of course, but she rather spend her time learning ways on how to fight the Death Eaters. But then again, she thought that maybe she should get to know Narcissa better. she had written a letter to her mother asking for advices on what she should do. Mrs Weasley had written back a long letter telling Ginny that she shouldn't be too brave and stay at home like Draco had asked her to. She then went on and told Ginny to spend more time with her mother-in-law.

So that was what Ginny did exactly. Narcissa was excited at the prospect of getting out of the Manor and be free again. Her being 'captured' by the Death Eaters had made her so stressed up and there was nothing more than shopping and meeting people that would do her good.

As Ginny, remembered the time she spend with Narcissa, she couldn't help but smiled. Narcissa wanted to buy for her a lot of things such as a new dress, books that Ginny love to read and even a new broom. She had told Ginny that learning to fly is best when you learn from Draco because he was a wonderful flyer. But of course, Narcissa didin't realise who the real person behind the mask of Giselle was. She didn't know that Ginny was also a great flyer having played for the Gryffindor Quidditch team for a while.

Ginny filled her glass with water and took huge gulps of it. She looked at the grandfather clock and saw that it was half past midnight. She slammed her glass on the cabinet and slowly made her way up to the room. She had been exploring the Manor since the day Draco had left her all alone in the house. She had finally memorise which turn to make to which place. She could always apparate but thought that it would be more fun to look around the Manor. She walked along the long hallway to her room and saw Draco coming out of the room.

"There you are. I was looking for you. Where did you go?" Draco asked with a worried look on his face.

"Oh really? I thought three days would be enough to make you forget that I do exist." Ginny spat.

"And what was that about?" Draco asked grabbing her wrist when she tried walking away from Draco.

"Let go of me." Ginny hissed. Draco let go of her wrist and walked behind her.

"Look, I'm sorry alright? I got things to do." Draco said feeling a little irritated.

"Well I thought that part of the reason why I'm married to you is because I'm here to help in any way that I can to defeat the Death Eaters!"

"When the time comes I will…"

"Yeh I know, when the time comes you will tell me everything." Ginny said cutting off Draco's words. She was fuming mad. She had bottled up all the anger for the past three days and finally managed to get it out to the subject that had made her feel this way.

Draco looked at Ginny. Her face starts to relax a little but he could see that she was still angry. "Feeling any better?" He asked.

Ginny ignored his question. She shrugged and continues looking out the window. The bright moonlight was shining down on her face and Draco thought she looked really pretty. No one would have thought that this marriage could happen if the question was to be asked a few years ago. It would be ridiculed and even condemned. He looked at her and realised that he was still not sure how he feel about her. He does like Ginny but does he love her? Only time would tell. He walked up to her and places his hands on her shoulder and rubbed it lightly.

"I'm sorry alright?" Draco whispered huskily into her ear. He knew that it would work. Not that he was being insincere. Draco kissed her neck lightly and heard her sighing. He assumed that it was a sign that he could continue whatever he was doing. He then realised something. _I haven't had sex with my wife! My legally wedded wife!_

"You want to do something special tonight?" Draco asked cheekily as he wrapped his arms around Ginny's waist and kissed her cheek.

"What do _you_ want to do?" Ginny asked and turned to face Draco. She wrapped her arms around Draco's neck and pulled him closer for a kiss. She had never been kissed this way before, so full of passion and tenderness. It was never like this with Michael or Dean. Draco untied her robe to reveal a white nightgown. He felt the swell of her breast as he placed his hands just below her neck. He unbuttoned her nightgown slowly.

Ginny unbuttoned Draco's shirt and felt his well-toned body. She felt herself blushing when they parted for a while. Draco planted his lips on hers again, asking for more pleasure as his tongue grazed her lips.

Ginny moaned in blissful torture as Draco's hands roamed all over her body. Draco slowly eased the nightgown and her knickers and Ginny was trying to get his trousers down. He chuckled lightly and helped her with his trousers and boxer. Draco then lifted her up and places her on the bed. Just as he had expected, Ginny was hiding a great body under all those robes that she wore at The Burrow. He kissed her neck and slowly traces his kisses down to her stomach.

"Oh Merlin, Draco…" Ginny sighed when his lips grazed her breast. Draco then kissed her passionately on her lips again, tasting her sweetness and innocence. "Draco…" She said in between kisses. "I…have to tell you…something."

"What?" Draco asked almost impatiently. Ginny had to smile when she saw the scowl on his face.

"I've never done this before." Ginny said shyly.

Draco tucks the loose strands of her silky red hair behind her ears and kissed her affectionately on her forehead. "That's ok. We'll take it slow alright?" Ginny nodded and smiled at him.

Draco wasn't really surprised that Ginny was a virgin. She was, just as he expected, purely innocent. But it wasn't like Draco was that experienced too. He had lost his virginity when he was 18 to someone he wish he now hadn't. For a while, Draco had been influenced by the younger Death Eaters of his age who roamed for woman to sleep with every single week. He really hated himself back then, for sleeping with women he had no connection with. This time, he wouldn't want to spoil the moment. He was about to make love with the women he adores.

"I promise I won't hurt you." Draco whispered and kissed her gently on the lips. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." Ginny replied.

Draco sat in between her legs when Ginny spread them. Draco eased himself slowly into her. She was tight and warm and Draco looked at her to see if she was hurt. "I'm ok." Ginny said hoarsely.

Draco pushed a little more and Ginny gasped. She moved her hips underneath Draco and he slowly moved against her when he had entered her fully. Ginny felt uncomfortable at first but it all melted away slowly and she felt like she needed and wanted more. She wrapped her legs around Draco.

"Oh Draco…please." She moaned as she pulled him closer to her, wanting all of him. Ginny finally felt herself on edge and called out Draco's name.

"Oh Ginny." Draco said completely losing himself. He lay on top of her feeling her heavy breathing. He then slowly eased himself from Ginny and kissed her gently on the lips. Ginny cuddled into his embrace and hear the soft heartbeats on his chest. She had never thought that a day of feeling angry with her husband ended with a night of pure lust and sheer pleasure.

She loved the way she fitted into Draco's arms right now. The way their bodies fitted into a perfect puzzle. As she rise and fall on Draco's chest she sighed in content.

"That was…nice isn't it?" Draco asked.

"Yes it was." Ginny said smiling.

Draco kissed her head. "Goodnight Ginny."

"Goodnight Draco."

They fell into a deep sleep as the fire crackled silently behind them.

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Ginny woke up the next day to a sun filled room. She shut her eyes back hating the glaring light. She turned to her left where she knew Draco would be. She was disappointed, but only for a second.

"Good morning beautiful." Draco greeted. Ginny turned at the sound of his voice and saw him sitting down on the sofa. He was wearing his suit and he looked like he was ready to leave, again.

"Good morning." Ginny said smiling at him.

"You look so peaceful when you were sleeping, I didn't want to wake you up." Draco said and got up from the sofa and walked to her. "So," he said and kissed Ginny on her forehead, "I just had to…" he then kissed her on her nose, "watch…" he then kissed her on her right cheek, "you sleep…" he then kissed her on her left cheek, "and you are so sexy, you know that?" Draco asked and kissed her on her lips. Ginny had to roll her eyes. _This is so Draco_.

"Ginny, I said sorry last night and I do mean it you know? This is why I want you to see me leave this morning. Ok?" Draco asked with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Ok. But if you can at least come back for lunch or something today, that would make me happy."

"If it makes you happy then I'll do it." Draco said. "But for now, I have to leave. I'll see you later." He kissed her on the lips again, this time harder; assuring her that everything would be alright.

When Draco leaves the room, Ginny covered herself under the duvet and giggled in delight. She couldn't believe she's married to someone who really aimed to please her and she had to admit that she was feeling quite happy at the moment.

Draco smiled to himself as he descended down the stairs. He was actually trying hard to make Ginny happy and he could see it in her eyes that she was. It was afterall in his Malfoy charm. It was his Slytherin nature. When he woke up that morning with Ginny at his side, he felt that familiar jolt in his chest. He still doesn't know what it was. She looked so peaceful that he just had to watch her. The fact that she was actually his was something that he still could not grasp.

"We're ready master." Boone greeted when he saw Draco. Draco nodded his head and began another day pretending to love what he was set to do.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!

fleeting.ideas: Thanks for reviewing! Please keep on reading!

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: I'm so so glad you're back! I love the disguise too! Well anyway i really hope to escalate the action/adventure side of the story starting from this chapter!


	22. Vampires and Merrows

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's Note**: Another long chapter! Hope you guys don't mind! This is where mysteries, action, etc etc all begins! Please leave reviews at the end!!!

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Ginny and Draco were leading a wonderful life as husband and wife. Lovemaking was always luxurious and Draco was more than content every single day. Whenever they quarrel it was always about how Draco was not letting Ginny into the discussions he was having with the Death Eaters but it was always sealed by Draco's charms.

One particular morning, Ginny was surprised when she woke up with Draco at her side. Draco straight away kissed her neck and lips.

"Should we have another one?" Draco asked cheekily.

Ginny pushed him away. "Draco why are you here?"

"Woman! This is unbelievable. It's a problem even if I'm here, right by your side when you open your eyes in the morning?" Draco scowled.

Ginny giggled and kissed her husband. "Alright I'm sorry. Breakfast together? We haven't been able to do that since the day we got married."

"I'd like that but I think I would first love a bubble bath together." Draco said and smiled slyly at her.

"Now you're unbelievable." Ginny said and let Draco carry her to the bathroom where everything was set up. The huge bathtub was filled with nice smelling bubbles and rose petals were floating on the water. "You planned this didn't you?"

They both dipped themselves into the water and took a long bath. They talked about a few things like England's place in the quarter-finals of the Quidditch World Cup. England was in the final eight with France, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Turkey, and Brazil and of course Bulgaria. They received the news through Hermione who was keeping in touch with Harry. But most of the time, all they did was having hot snogging sessions and lovemaking. They quickly dressed up after the satisfying bath and went down to the dining hall where Narcissa and Martha were already having their breakfast.

"Good morning Giselle, Draco. You both sure took so long to come down do you?" Narcissa asked.

"I'm sorry mother. I just wanted to spend more time with my wife." Draco apologized.

"That's alright. You should anyway; you have been out most of the time. So Giselle, I was thinking, maybe we could go shopping at Diagon Alley again today. Would you like that?"

Ginny and Narcissa have been spending quite a lot of time together whenever Draco was not around. Narcissa have grown to like and love her daughter-in-law. She felt lucky and happy for Draco to have found someone so beautiful and down-to-earth.

"I'm afraid she will not be able to mother." Draco said.

"Why?" Both Narcissa and Ginny cried out.

"Because," Draco started and took Ginny's hands in his. "It's time. Grandmother and I thought that it is time to bring in Giselle into our plans."

"Are you sure about that?" Narcissa asked.

"Of course we are Narcissa dear." Martha said assuring her daughter-in-law.

"So what's the plan?" Ginny asked excitedly. She was finally brought into the plan that the Order, together with Draco and Martha, had put together. It was finally time for her to do her part.

"You sure you can do this Giselle?" Draco asked.

"That's what I'm here for." Ginny replied with a determined look in here eyes to show Draco that she was prepared to face anything. She wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing.

"Alright then, we'll start today. I'll brief you before we go alright?" Draco asked and Ginny nodded her head.

After breakfast, Draco told Ginny that she was firstly going to meet all the other people other than the Death Eaters who were hand-in-hand to defeat the Order. Draco warned her that things might get difficult and told her to have her wand handy at all times.

"We're meeting Greyback first." Draco said.

"No! Not that bloody Greyback!" Ginny said with absolute horror in her eyes.

"Ginny, I know that this will be hard especially after what he had done to Bill, but grandmother and I thought that if it's anything that you're going to face, it's best if you overcome him first." Draco said. He then leaned in closer to Ginny and whispered to her. "Greyback's nothing Ginny. He had grown quite weak in the past few years since Voldemort was defeated."

Ginny looked into her eyes and sighed. She knew she was braver than this but she was not sure if she was prepared. She looked over at Martha who looked back at her with encouraging eyes. Ginny nodded her head and they both smiled.

_I won't leave you alone Ginny. I will always be by your side._

Ginny looked at Draco and squeezed his hands lightly, grateful that he had converse with her. It sounded much better when she heard it in her own mind. It was as if Draco was right inside her. Draco holds her right hand and Martha holds her left. They apparated and in a split second, when Ginny opened her eyes, the atmosphere was totally different. It was much colder and she was glad that she had put on her robe that Narcissa had bought for her a few days ago. She wrapped the robe around her tighter, hoping that it will give her warmth. They walked up a small hill towards a small and dark house. It looked deserted and there was an eerie feeling around Ginny as they get nearer. Draco holds her hand all they way up the house, keeping his promise intact.

As they got nearer, Ginny could hear a loud argument between two deep voices. Draco rolled his eyes recognizing the voices straight away.

"How dare you!" One voice shouted.

"That one is Greyback." Draco said to Ginny matter-of-factly.

"I can say whatever I want to, you filthy animal!" Another voice challenged.

"And that's Boulahrouz." Draco said sighing.

Martha opened the door and was greeted by a bright volt of electricity. Boulahrouz was emitting them from the tip of his fingers and was directing it at Greyback who was screaming in pain.

"Stop it you idiots!" Draco shouted and Boulahrouz slowly and reluctantly place his hands by his side. Ginny was a little shocked to see the state of the two of them. She has never seen Greyback before but from descriptions from a few people, she knew that he was the one with yellow teeth and hollow eyes. His hair was graying and in a mess. His body looks fragile and his clothes were worn out. He was staring at Boulahrouz with hatred written all over his face.

Boulahrouz had a very pale face and a pointed chin. His cheekbones were high and his eyes were icy blue. He had dark hair and he was tall with a broad frame. He was much younger than Greyback and Ginny realize that there was just something about him. He was enchanting and alluring. When he looked at Ginny, his eyes pierced through hers and Ginny felt like a magnetic pull was forcing her to keep on staring into his sexy eyes. Her heart started racing and she felt like she needed him to kiss her. But the spell broke when she heard Draco's voice again.

"This is absolutely mental! How many times have I told you both that all these dueling are unnecessary?" Draco demanded.

They both looked at each other and continue to stare. If looks could kill, Ginny was sure that Greyback would die first. Boulahrouz's eyes were just killing him.

"I was just about to leave." Boulahrouz said. He took off by exiting through the back door. He turned again to face Ginny before he left. Ginny felt like her breath was caught in her throat. Those eyes were too enthralling. She knew that she had to look away but she found herself giving in into the temptation. He left and slammed the door behind him.

"To what do I owe you the pleasure?" Greyback asked Draco rudely.

"_Flipendo_!" Draco had cast a non-verbal spell and at the same time, he used _leer mente_ to make the spell more powerful. He had overheard Greyback's thought when he called him a weakling. A big ball of energy went straight towards Greyback and he was pushed to the wall and Ginny heard some bone breaking thud as he landed on the floor.

"Weakling eh? Next time you want to bad mouth me in your head, do it wisely." Draco hissed. Greyback just smirked at him. Draco straightened his robes and took Ginny's hand again.

"This is my wife, Giselle. I thought that you should be the first one she should meet." Draco said calmly. "I thought that you, being the oldest, would at least be more mature and not mess around with vampires like Boulahrouz. He's young, he has an ego to boost, and you, you just need to irritate him do you?" Draco asked.

When Draco mentioned that Boulahrouz was a vampire, it finally clicked to Ginny the reasons why she was so attracted to him. Vampires, she had read, has powers to draw anyone to them whenever they wish to. The way Boulahrouz had looked at her did give her the chills but it somehow made her feel flattered.

Greyback ignored Draco's words and got up from his fall. Martha squeezed Draco's shoulders lightly; hoping that he would cool it off.

"Let's go. I can't bear to look at him anymore." Draco said and pulled Ginny out of the door. "He never stops being an arse that one." Draco muttered to himself.

Ginny rubbed his back and felt his muscles relaxed. "Hey, you have to keep your anger in check alright? Don't let them ruin your day. You're better than this." Ginny said soothingly.

"Thanks." Draco said and gave Ginny a small smile.

"I guess that didn't go too well." Martha commented. "Why don't both of you make your way home first? I need to make a stop at Diagon Alley and meet Belinda." With that, Martha disapparate.

"Who's Belinda?" Ginny asked.

"You'll meet her soon. She's Avery's sister." Draco replied. They both apparated back to the Manor and sat down on the luxurious sofa. "I'm sorry."

"About what?" Ginny asked.

"About what happened with Greyback? I don't know why I'm putting up with him. And that Boulahrouz. I can never trust him you know. The way he looks at…" Draco was stopped by a House Elf who popped into the living room.

"I'm sorry master, but you have some guests. Two of them to be exact." The House Elf said timidly.

"Who is it this time?" Draco asked.

"They said that they are your classmates back at school."

"I'll be down there." Draco said and the House Elf bowed and disappeared with a loud pop. "Who could it be eh?"

Ginny shrugged. "Well, let's take a look shall we?"

Ginny and Draco walked up to the main room and saw a lady and a man with dark black hair. They had their backs turn to him but Draco felt like he knew who they were.

"No way!" Draco said and both the guests turned to face him. They broke into a smile. Draco was happy to see one but was uncertain about the other.

"It's that how you greeted one of your best friends after you cut all contacts with him for like what? 5 years maybe?" The guy asked. His handsome face lit into a smile at the sight of Draco.

"Yeah Draco. Where did your charms go?" The lady asked. Draco was still in shock but the corners of his mouth tug into a smile.

"I'm sorry." Draco chuckled. He walked over to both of them and gave them a hug.

"Blaise, Merlin, it's good to see you mate." Draco said and shook Blaise's hand. Draco turned to the lady who was flirtatiously smiling at him.

"Pansy." He addressed and she squealed in delight and jumped into Draco's arms. Draco felt his stomach squirm and for the first time, he was concerned about what Ginny would think now that Pansy was hugging him right in front of her. Back at school, Draco would never think about how his actions would affect his then girlfriend. He quickly let her go although Pansy showed signs that she doesn't want to.

Ginny was right behind Draco and she was actually as shock as Draco to see Blaise and Pansy. It was more overwhelming to see Pansy hugging Draco so tightly as if they both are confirming rumours which Ginny had heard back when she was at Hogwarts.

"What brings both of you here?" Draco asked.

"Well, Blaise and I kind of bumped into each other when we were vacationing in Spain. So we started hanging out and then you became the subject of our conversation. And I decided that we should just cut our vacation short and try our luck to see if you still leave in this mansion! Isn't that a brilliant idea?" She asked excitedly. Draco was about to say something but Pansy beat him into it. "But Blaise of course being Blaise, just couldn't bear to leave Spain yet. I swear he wants to have sex with all the women that he met in that muggle club."

"Alright, too much information there Parkinson. If you don't stop I'm going to…"

"If I don't stop you're going to what?" Pansy challenged him. When Blaise didn't say anything, she smirked at him. Pansy tiptoed and peered behind Draco's shoulder. She saw Ginny and frowned. "I didn't know you have a sister."

Draco chuckled and walked back to Ginny. He holds her hand and smiled at her. "Very funny Pansy. This is my wife, Giselle."

"You're married? No way!" Pansy exclaimed. Her face was a mix of confusion, disappointment and anger. Blaise looked at her and laughed out loud.

"Erm…she actually was kind of hoping that she could hooked up with you." Blaise managed to say in between laughter. Pansy smacked him hard at the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Thanks Zabini!"

Ginny looked at Draco and raised her eyebrows. Draco's neck turned slightly red when Blaise mentioned about the hook up. "He was just joking." Draco whispered. For the first time, Ginny saw that Draco was actually looking guilty and Ginny made a promise to herself that she would find out what had happened between Pansy and her husband…if there were any history at all.

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"We did it mate!" Hawkes exclaimed excitedly. "I swear we have the best squad in the history of English Quidditch!"

Harry laughed at his captain's antics and looked around at his other team mates. They were all patting each other's back and congratulating one another. They just beat Australia in the quarter-finals of the World Cup

"Couldn't have done without you, Mr Captain." Hamlet praised. "Give it up to Hawkes squad!" Everyone burst out in whistles and applauds for Hawkes. He smiled and humbly bowed himself in appreciation.

"So who are we meeting in the semi-finals?" Harry asked.

"You will never guess." Hawkes said his smile wide. "You will get a chance to get revenge Potter. Bulgaria beat Turkey just a few hours ago! So we're meeting them in the semi-finals. Better work on your flying Potter. I'm sure you don't want to lose to Krum again."

"Yeah, WE do not want you to lose to Krum again. That will just be a double beating!" Adams quipped.

"No worries my mates. I know I'm going to beat him this time." Harry said confidently.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Hawkes said. "Alright everyone, you're free to do anything tonight but training starts at 10 in the morning tomorrow!" They all dispersed and Harry made his way to his room.

"Harry, wait up!" Hamlet called out. "It's alright if I call you Harry right?"

"Of course. All the better!" Harry said. "So what's up?"

"So, I'm sure you heard from your girlfriend that she has been hanging out with my girl? Tosha?"

"Hermione did mention it to me in her last letter. She was surprised that Tosha is Ireland's Minister of Magic's daughter."

"Tosha would like it to be kept on the low you see. Well anyway, I'm so glad she's making friends. I mean, she really don't have much friends because everyone is afraid of a Minister's daughter and all that crap."

Harry chuckled. "Hermione said Tosha's a nice girl. So don't worry Andrew."

"I hope so." Hamlet said sighing.

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"Miss O'Connor, Miss Granger is here." Tosha's secretary said.

"Thanks Cindy." Tosha replied. She got up from her chair and took her purse and coat. Her heart was beating a little too fast. She was actually very nervous. She opened the door and smiled at Hermione.

"Have you heard from Andrew? They made it!" Hermione exclaimed and hugged her new found friend. They talked animatedly and made their way to a restaurant in Diagon Alley. They sat down and were served immediately. After a waiter took their order down, they began to talk again. For the first time, Hermione was actually so excited to talk about Quidditch.

"Harry was so excited. He owled me straight away. Poor Hedwig though, he have been flying from France to England practically every two days."

"Andrew's ecstatic. I hope they will beat Bulgaria. I'm sure they will anyway." Tosha said. She looked at Hermione and was wondering if she should share with her the things that she has been hiding inside her. _Would Hermione change her mind and break our friendship?_ Tosha thought that it was now or never.

"Erm, Hermione. I didn't want to meet you to celebrate the boys' victory. I mean other than that, I would like to share something with you."

Hermione reached out and squeezes Tosha's hand. "You know you can tell me anything you want."

"Ok, you know how I told you that all the other boys' girlfriends didn't really want to be friends with me?" Tosha asked and Hermione nodded to show her that she remembered. "Well that's because it was my mum…whom I've never met."

"That's ridiculous Tosha." Hermione responded.

"Well that's because you have not heard the rest of it." Tosha said and Hermione blushed slightly.

"Oh sorry. Continue please."

"Well, my mum, I was told, was a merrow. I'm sure you know what a merrow is. I mean you're the smartest witch of our age."

"A merrow Tosha? But in Ireland, they are regarded as messengers of death, they dislike humans and aren't they supposed to be immortal? That can't be." Hermione asked in confusion.

"That's because my mum is half a merrow. It was my grandmother, she's wholly a merrow. This is going to sound a little like The Little Mermaid. You know how Ariel wished that she could be human and meet a dashing man or some sort like that? Well, as for my grandmother, it was actually unfortunate for her. She belongs to one of the strongest kingdoms of the sea. You know lots of treasures and all those kind of crap. She was spotted by a group of fishermen and was captured."

"So they took her cloak didn't they? They took her cloak so that she would not be able to return to sea?"

Tosha nodded. "Yes, the cloak that will help them travel underwater. But my grandfather pitied her and unties her to let her go. Apparently, my grandfather had been admiring her from far. I was told that she was beautiful. So they eloped instead. My mother was born a year later and that was where it all went wrong. My grandmother left my grandfather one week later and she never came back."

"Is this happening to you? Your mother left too? They couldn't resist the urge to go back to the sea didn't they? It's where they belong. I read that merrows are beautiful Tosha and they are wealthy too."

"And they are marine fairies." They both said at the same time.

"So what does that make me Hermione? When people heard about the history of my family, they freaked out. They think that merrows are blood sucking immortals and all they want to do is make their husbands fall in love with them. It's not like that you know. Everytime I walked into a room, people looked at me like I'll attack them anytime." Tosha paused for a while and took a deep breath. "I really admire my father. He worked so hard to be where he is right now. He somehow had gain the trust of wizards and witches in Ireland. People called him stupid and butthead so many times for marrying a half-merrow. But that didn't bother him; I wish I could be as strong as he is. They didn't realize that my father fell in love with my mother not out of her wealth but pure love and innocence. They just chose not to see that Hermione and it's all coming back to me because they think that I'm dating Andrew because of his status!"

"Don't let them bring you down Tosha. Look at you, you're the Minster's daughter and you're working at one of the most influential law firms in the UK. And look at Andrew. He is England's best Beater they ever had. You both absolutely don't need anything other than love, which is why you found each other." Hermione said and saw that tears were filling in Tosha's eyes.

"Thank you Hermione. I'm sure going to owl Andrew and ask him to tell Harry that he is lucky to have such a wonderful girlfriend. So you're not going to freak out?" Tosha said after she wiped her tears.

Hermione blushed and gave Tosha a hug. "Of course not. Everything's going to be alright."

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!

fleeting.ideas: Thanks! Hope you'll like this one!

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: Well i hope it wasn't too much..the whole Draco and Ginny thing. I want to keep it minimal but at the same time let people see how beautiful it can be...hmmm does that make sense? LOLX! Anyway i hope you enjoyed this one!


	23. In Mortal Peril

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's Note**: This is where some mystery and actions starts in Hermione's and Ginny's life. Please leave reviews at the end. As for the appearance of Blaise and Pansy in the previous chapter, i use the description based on Book 6 for Blaise. He's supposed to be black and have slanted sexy eyes so I'm wondering why some author wrote him as sexy Italian. As for Pansy, i remebering that there was this girl with black hair in the 3rd movie who was always with Draco. I checked and confirmed that the girl was Pansy.

So enjoy reading!

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"Adams to Hawkes and back to Adams and England leads 150 to 40! The Bulgarians sure hasn't learned their lesson yet! This is déjà vu as England gives them another beating!" The commentator said.

Harry circled the stadium in anticipation, eagerly waiting for the golden wings of the Snitch to catch his eyes. Krum too was circling around waiting for the sight of the same thing. Harry dodged occasionally to avoid a couple of bludgers which seems to be directed at him rather than Adams or Hawkes. Then, he saw it. It was fluttering wildly at the top corner of the stadium. He flew towards it at top speed catching the sight of Krum who was doing the same; he surely wasn't going to let history repeats itself.

"I think they've seen it! Krum and Potter are flying towards the Golden Snitch!" As the commentator said those words, the crowd erupted in loud cheers. "Who's going to get it this time? Krum or Potter?"

Harry flew hard and stretched out his hands. This was the moment he had been waiting for. As Krum and he flew side by side, Harry felt the need to surge just a few centimeters forward. He knew that it would matter. Both hands were outstretched and the Snitch was only a few feet away. With all the energy that was left inside of him, Harry rushes forward and caught the Snitch. He felt his insides erupted with joy as his team mates rushed to him and congratulate him. England has won the game by 260 points!

As all the players landed on the ground, the England squad still couldn't believe that they have reached the finals. The last time the England squad got a place in the finals was fifty years ago! All 14 players shook hands and when Harry reached Krum, they stared each other in the eye.

"Good game Harry." Krum said. "Please tell Hermione I said hi. Good luck in beating France, they're a hard team to crack."

"Thanks! It was a good experience playing against you. Good job." Harry replied. They gave each other a nod and walked their separate ways. In the dressing room, the England squad immediately celebrated by conjuring bottles of Butterbeer. They were all in a circle singing, dancing and jumping with joy. They were all anxious to meet France in the finals. They were said to have the strongest team in this year's tournamentbut Hawkes, as captain, would never let that piece of information bring them down. England too has the strongest team in the history of English Quidditch. They celebrated until midnight and half of them walked in a daze back to the hotel room. Harry who remained sober immediately took out a piece of parchment and a quill to inform Hermione about their victory.

_Dear Hermione,_

_We won and I caught the Snitch! It was exhilarating! I wish you could be here so that I could celebrate our victory with you. I can now finally meet you since we got into the final. Family and friends will be given good seats tickets to watch us play. It's going to be on a weekend so that everyone can watch it! I'm inviting Ron, Ginny, maybe the ferret and of course all the other Weasleys. _

_I miss you Hermione. Three weeks without you is no joke! Hope to see you in 5 days!_

_Lots of Love,  
Harry_

_P/S: Krum said hi!_

Harry rolled the parchment carefully and tied it to Hedwig's leg. He was sitting on the window ledge lazily and he looks irritated when Harry tied the note to his leg. Harry gave Hedwig something to bite on before she flew off hoping that it would me good enough for her to sop looking at him in a threatening way.

As soon as Hedwig flew off, Harry lay down on his bed and dozed off immediately.

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Hermione went down for breakfast in a happy mood. She received Harry's letter and replied straightaway to tell him that she would be delighted to watch him play in the finals and of course, she was dying to meet him after three weeks being apart. Lessons had gone well and she was glad there were no mishaps and that her students were being cooperative.

But it all goes wrong as she enters the classroom of her lesson with the Gryffindor and Slytherin sixth years. Natalie Avery was being distant as usual. She didn't answer any of Hermione's questions that were directed to her and she rolled her eyes everytime Hermione deducted points from her house. Hermione thought that after a few months being patient with Natalie's attitude, it would make her be more accustomed to it. But it irritated her more.

Natalie left the class as soon as the bell rang without bothering Hermione's calls that she had not given out homework yet. It seemed like Hermione could not control this girl who looked like she hated Hermione just at the sight of her. The rest of the class looked at her questioningly but they kept their curiosity at bay. They copied down a list of things to do for their homework and left the class quietly.

Hermione packed her books and belongings and walked back to her dormitory. She knew that she was stronger than this but the fact that she did not have Ron and Ginny and especially Harry around, made her feel depressed everytime Natalie showed her defiant side to her. Thinking about Ginny made her realize, that it had been quite a while since she last wrote to her. Hermione thought that it might do her some good to write to her girl best friend and ask her about her married life. But as soon as she opened the door, her heart fell and it seemed like she heard it crashing down to the ground and break into a million pieces. It was as if she was transported back to the day when she discovered her room in a mess!

Hermione looked around at the slashed pillows, torn papers and broken glasses. But something on top of the fireplace caught her eye and she felt like someone had choked her. The only picture she has of Harry and she was treated like a dartboard! Two knives helped the picture to be placed up on the hard wood of the fireplace. One was aimed at Harry's forehead and the other aimed on Hermione's face. She felt her blood turn cold. _Who could be so cruel? This person must want Harry and me dead!_

Without even a second to think, Hermione knew that there's only one person she could turned to right now. She rushed to McGonagall's office. As soon as she reached the door, she knocked on it nervously. When it opened, Hermione who looked distressed blurted everything out to McGonagall.

"Not again Professor Granger. I have to see this!"

They walked quickly towards Hermione's dormitory and when McGonagall herself witnessed the scene, she only had one thing in her mind.

"Professor Granger, I think you need protection. Someone in this school obviously wants you dead."

Hermione shivered at the words spoken to her. Her mind was reeling on what she has to do. She knew that Harry would freak out if he heard about this and there's no way that Hermione was going to tell him.

"I insist that you take a break this week Professor Granger. I'll get another professor to cover you. Go do something that will calm you down." McGonagall said with sympathy.

Hermione looked at her room and decided, for the first time, to run away from reality.

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Ginny had been meeting the 'troops' that was eager to fight the Order. It hadn't been fun but it was definitely a learning experience. Getting to see what Draco had to face everyday for almost a month made her realize how important his job as a spy for the Order was. She had met Belinda, Avery's sister, who was actually Natalie Avery's mother. She made a mental note to give this piece of information to Hermione. Belinda had jet black hair and her eyes were small. Her clothes were sophisticated. Hermione had never mentioned anything about Natalie being wealthy.

That day, she was having lunch with Martha and Belinda. Apparently, the Averys were a big part of this huge plan to defeat the Order. They were of course the next richest family after the Malfoys. Martha was working hand in hand with Belinda. Ginny was there to learn and see how these Death Eaters deal with each other. They were often manipulative and just from reading their minds; Ginny could hear that they have hidden agendas. Some were in it for the name and others for revenge. Ginny was glad that Boulahrouz did not appear in any of their meeting when Draco brought her along. He had the charms but Ginny planned to stay away from him.

As Ginny looked from Belinda to Martha, she got bored as they keep talking about how victory would be sweet once the Order had been taken down. The fact that Belinda's mind was reeling about how proud she would do her brother, made Ginny sick. She excused herself and made her way to the ladies.

"Hi Mrs Malfoy, how can I help you?" A waitress in her teens asked.

"I need the ladies urgently." Ginny whispered.

"No problem. It's along this corridor, turn to the left and it's the door on your right." She said chirpily.

"Thanks."

Ginny made her way quickly towards the long corridor. She was halfway when the lights suddenly started to dim slowly. _How can this be a first class restaurant?_ Ginny shook her head at that thought and made a note to inform the waitress about the lights.

But it all seemed fishy when Ginny suddenly felt a little chill and the lights started to flicker wildly. It suddenly went dark and Ginny halted to a stop. She turned around changing her mind about the ladies and the lights quickly turned back on but it was still dim. She sigh feeling a little frustrated. She made a sharp turn and bumped into something solid.

"Hi beautiful one." A throaty voice whispered. "I have been waiting for you."

Ginny looked up and was locked into the icy blue eyes that had stuck into her head. He was much more handsome up close and Ginny realize that she was so close to his face as he leaned down and looked at her in the eye. He ran his fingers along Ginny's jaw line and down her neck. Ginny noticed that he was staring at her neck a few more seconds than he needed to. She knew that she have to fight him but she felt that her defenses were weak. Her eyes fluttered close at his touch.

Boulahrouz looked at the women in front of him in awe. He had seen a lot of beautiful women but no one had been as intoxicating as this one. Her beauty was breathtaking and he knew that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. _Malfoy, you don't know how lucky you are._

"Have you been dreaming about me?" He asked seducing. Ginny opened her eyes to look at him. She wanted so much to resist him but she just couldn't, instead she wanted him more and more. Boulahrouz cupped her chin and brushed his lips against hers. When he heard her gasping, he knew that he had her. He kissed her slowly and when he traced her lips with his tongue, she opened her mouth willingly and let him explore her tongue.

Ginny felt like fireworks had exploded in her body. _Why am I feeling this way?_ Then it stopped. Boulahrouz released her and gave her a wink. "I'm just going to let you want me." He walked away from Ginny and disappeared slowly into thin air. The lights went brighter and Ginny suddenly realized what had happened. She looked around in search of Boulahrouz. Her heart was beating faster and faster as it dawned on her that she was caught under Boulahrouz's spell. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She quickly made her way back to the table and made sure that she wasn't flushing. She excused herself and told Belinda and Martha that she wasn't feeling well.

"_Are you ok my dear? You look a little pale."_ Ginny heard the concerns of Marta in her head.

"_I'm ok Martha, I just need to lie down."_ Ginny conversed and gave Martha a small smile.

"_I wish I could go home with you. This lady is a nut!"_

Ginny managed to keep her face straight at Martha's comments and quickly made her way out of the restaurant. She got into the horse carriage that was meant to transport Martha and her back to the Manor. She was back at the Manor in 15 minutes and quickly dashed up to see if Draco was still in the Manor. She was about to opened the door to their bedroom when Draco got out of the room in a rush.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked.

"I just received news from Boone that Greyback is in trouble again." Draco replied. "I'm sorry Ginny but I have to go now." But when he saw Ginny's troubled face, he stopped walking. "Hey what is it?" He asked.

"It's ok; we'll talk when you come back. Go before he creates more damage." Ginny urged him. Draco pulled Ginny to him and gave a long lingering kiss on her lips.

"I'll be right back." He whispered huskily into her ear. Ginny nodded and Draco ran down the stairs. She sighed and locked the door behind her. She lay down on the big bed by herself and pulled up the comforter to her chin, feeling a sudden chillness in the air.

"I thought that was a good plan." A cold voice said in the corner of the room. Boulahrouz emerged from the shadows in all his vampire glory. He was wearing a black robe that was buttoned right up to his neck. Ginny got up from the bed at the sight of him and she was trembling slightly.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny asked with a strong voice to mask her fears.

"I just needed to see you…so badly. You don't know what you're doing to me Giselle." He said with a low tone.

As soon as he said those words, Ginny had that feeling again; that strong feeling of the need for him to touch her. As if he was reading her mind, Boulahrouz was beside her with a few strides. He leaned in closer to Ginny and she felt her eyes fluttered close at the mere touch of his hands on her waist. He kissed Ginny on her lips and pulled her towards him closer. Ginny moaned at the feel of his tongue on her lips and that was the reaction that Boulahrouz was hoping for. He was definitely having a moment of haematodipsia. He wanted so much to sire her; to make her his queen. He knew that she wanted him as much as he wanted her but he also knew that she was a strong woman and had no choice but to use his powers to capture her attention.

Ginny opened her lips to his and let his tongue touch her own. Boulahrouz let his hand combed through her long red hair and trailed his hands along her neck and back. He groaned in pleasure as Ginny did the same. He tightened his arms around her waist and kisses her neck where she let out a cry of pleasure. He smiled at her reaction. He began unbuttoning her blouse and revealed her milky white skin. Boulahrouz places his hand on her neck, the part of her body where he had been eyeing the most. Seeing that she had her eyes closed, Boulahrouz prepared to sink in his fangs into her skin. As he was about to do just that, the door was pushed open with a bang.

At the door stood Draco with anger etched on his handsome face. One look at Boulahrouz and he knew what he was about to do. Draco felt only fire in him. He had never felt so much anger in his life. Looking at the limp form of Ginny just burn his insides more.

"You better leave Boulahrouz or I swear I'll kill you with my own bare hands." Draco said dangerously.

"And what makes you think I'll be so scared of that? I'm immortal remember?" Boulahrouz challenged and place Ginny on the bed lightly.

Draco took out his wand and aimed it at Boulahrouz. "_Crucio_!"

Boulahrouz screamed in pain as the torturous curse moved through his body like a poisonous liquid. Draco knew that Boulahrouz would still be well and alive at the end of it since he was immune to death but just seeing he screaming like that had satisfy a small part of Draco.

Draco lifted the curse and saw that Boulahrouz was unaffected physically. "Leave…now!" Draco shouted.

Boulahrouz smirked at Draco. He then looked over at Ginny and wanted to bend down to kiss her, right in front of Draco.

"Don't you dare touch her!"

Boulahrouz shook his head in disbelief. "Just remember Malfoy, she wanted me and I am so sure of that. She wanted me like I wanted her. I know you don't believe it but just keep that in your mind will you?" His icy blue eyes stared at Draco's silvery grey and slowly vanished into thin air.

Draco hurried to Ginny's side and his heart wrenched at the sight of her pale face. He carried her in his arms and rushed out the door. "Mother! Mother!"

Narcissa walked out the door and was shocked at the sight of Ginny. "What happened Draco? What's wrong with her?"

"She was attacked by a vampire. We need to get her to St Mungo's now!"

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Pansy looked left and right and eyed the corners of the house before coming in. "Hello?" No one answered her. She quickly walked in and went straight to her parent's room. She shut the door behind her and quickly went to her mother's vanity dresser. She opened every drawer that she could. One particular drawer was locked but she had no problems unlocking it.

"_Alohomora_." The locked clicked and Pansy opened it slowly. She found what she was looking for. The gleaming emerald necklace was sitting in a velvet box. Her eyes were shining with greed. _This is the one_.

Pansy took it in her hands and placed it inside her pocket. She locked the drawer and made sure there were no sign of any theft. She ran out of the room and when she was going down the stairs, she heard voices.

"Pansy should have stayed with us in Spain." She heard her father say.

"There she is. Where are you going?" Her mother asked.

"I'm just going to go see Draco. Blaise and I planned to hang out with him for a while." Pansy said calmly. "So I got to go now alright? See you."

Pansy walked out the door and smiled to herself. She took the necklace out of her pocket and looked at it admiringly. Her brains began to work out a plan.

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**REVIEWS PLEASE!!!**

pstibbons: Tosha's father is not the son of a merrow. Tosha's mother is the one who is half-merrow. Anyways thanks for reviewing! And i don;t think Ginny is a slut...LOL!

iwascalledrandomyesterday: Hey! Thanks for reviewing my story. Do keep on reading and reviewing!


	24. Burning Passion

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's Notes**: I know this took such a long time. I usually post new chapter every Tuesday morning (Singapore Time) but it's now Thursday afternoon! Things at work have been terrible busy because of the coming Chinese New Year. I've been coming home late and there's no time for me at work to update.

Anyway in this chapter, Pansy starts to remnisce about the past and things starts to get fun between Hermione and Harry. Just read it alright? And do leave reviews at the end!

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Pansy's black hair shines in the sun. Her thin frame was clad in a black long sleeve blouse and white pants. She sipped on her drink and lowered down her sunglasses when she spotted Blaise walking towards her. Girls at the other table were checking him out and Pansy just had to roll her eyes. Blaise was of course very good-looking. His dark skin was smooth and he had a nice complexion. His slanted brown eyes were sexy enough to make any girls go wild. When he sat beside Pansy, the girls shooted daggers to her with their eyes. Pansy loves being the girl who people would love to hate.

"This better be good Parkinson. I was in bed with a hot chick!" Blaise retorted.

"Zabini, what happened to those times when we were civilized towards each other? You know, you calling me Pansy and I'll be calling you Blaise." Pansy asked.

"What is it Parkinson? Just cut it alright?" Blaise said impatiently.

"Fine! I need your help alright?" Pansy paused and looked at Blaise. "I want to get Draco back and I know you can help. You're one of his best friends; you can help me convince him."

Blaise shook his head in disbelief. "Pansy, would you please just forget about it? He's married." Blaise said his voice soft.

"He belongs to me Blaise. You know it…everyone in school knows it."

"That was five or six years ago Pansy. Let it go." Blaise saw a flicker of sadness in her eyes but it immediately turned to something he recognizes as unrelenting.

"You don't know anything do you? Back at school all you did was hook up with girls and then chuck them aside the next day. You never understand how or what it means like to belong to someone." Pansy said trying her hardest not to cry. "If you're not helping then I'll do it alone. I know I'm capable of getting Draco back on my own." She got up from her chair and left Blaise.

As she walked away from the café, all she could think about was the memories of Draco and her. She still remembers sixth year when they were hanging out in one of the Hogwarts' Express cabin. He had his head on her lap and she was stroking his blond hair. It all felt so right. Eventhough he had never paid much attention to her, she knew that someday, Draco will realize what he had been missing.

Flashback  
_On Draco's 18th birthday, the Death Eaters had thrown a small party for him and Pansy was so glad she was invited. She could see that he wasn't in the mood. He was quite grumpy but occasionally gave a small smile to all who had wished him 'Happy Birthday'. Pansy went up to him to day hi since they had been apart for a year._

"_Well it's good to see someone familiar. Do you know everyone here?" Draco had asked._

"_Not at all. I came here with my aunt. Hey, you want to sneak out? Let's take a couple of Butterbeers and go somewhere else." Pansy suggested._

"_Sounds great to me. I'll go get the drinks, you stand by the door."_

_Pansy giggled in delight and nodded her head. She kept a lookout to make sure that no one saw them. As soon as Draco reached the door, they ran with all their might, away from the Malfoy Manor._

"_Come on, I know one place." Draco reached for her hands and pulled her to a secret garden that he had found when he was younger. He used to run away to this place everytime his father had one of his angry days. They sat on the mat that Pansy had conjured and talked for hours. And then it happened. She didn't remember how or why but she started to lean on Draco and when she got his attention, she placed her lips on his for a light kiss. She was surprised that Draco did not turn away. Instead he started kissing her softly and his arms were soon wrapped around her waist. Pansy moaned in pleasure when he started to unbutton her blouse and was kissing her neck. How the hell did it escalate to this? She had wondered but she did not mind at all. That moment all she could think about was getting deflowered by the boy that she had desired for half of her life._

_As soon as they were both unclothed, Pansy knew that it was the time. Draco had looked at her in the eye and when Pansy caressed his cheeks to let him know that she wanted this, Draco eased himself into her. It was the first time for the both of them and Pansy thought that that night was the sure sign that they belong together. But her hopes shattered the next day. Draco pulled her to a corner and told her that it was all a mistake._

"_Pansy, what I did was wrong. I shouldn't have, it was all a mistake."_

_Her lips trembled and tears rolled down her cheeks. "What do you mean? Draco, we had it. Please don't tell me that." She had begged clinging on to him._

_Draco pushed her lightly away from him. "We were drunk Pansy. I…I just can't do this ok? I have a lot on my shoulders right now. The last thing I need is a girlfriend and you're my friend, we shouldn't have done what we did last night."_

"_So I'm just a friend to you?"_

"_Look, I'm sorry. I'm just…sorry." He said and walked away from her. That was the last time she had seen him. Her parents had jobs all around the world and they keep on moving first to Switzerland, then to America where they stayed for two years. Then they were transferred to South Africa, Germany and France. The Parkinsons then decided to move back to England for good and vacationed in Spain after moving into their new house for a month.  
_End of Flashback

Pansy wants that night to be relived. She wants Draco back and she's planning to use the necklace that she had stole from her mother to help her. The emerald necklace belonged to her great-great-great grandmother. When she was younger, about ten, her mother had told her about the history of how this necklace had helped her great-great-great grandmother, Elizabeth, gets the man that she desires. Men loved her and the women loathed her. She was beautiful with porcelain skin, dark hair and blue eyes. People had labeled her as 'The Evil Enchantress'. She lured men who were wealthy and had sex with them to satisfy her desires. There were numerous stories on how she managed to get a hold of the necklace but it was later confirmed that she had use dark magic to be able to draw in attention from all the men. Since it fades away over time, Elizabeth had asked a dark sorcerer to bottle the power into the emerald gem so that she could wear it around her neck at all times and keep the power intact.

The emerald necklace was passed down from generation to generation but it was never really worn by them so Pansy didn't know if it still had its power. She turned to the left instead of the right to make her way to the Malfoy Manor. She had to see if the necklace still had its charms.

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Draco held Ginny's cold hand. She was a little pale but the Healer said that she would be fine. Apparently, Boulahrouz had cast a strong spell on her, making her nerves freeze and act only on Boulahrouz's orders. Draco was relieved to hear that the Healer was able to remove the spell. If Draco had delayed bringing her to the hospital any longer, they might not be able to save her. Narcissa was pacing around the room. Everytime she looked at her daughter-in-law, she felt like breaking down. She had grown to love her considering that she would be the only daughter-in-law that she would ever have.

"Please wake up." Draco whispered.

"Draco what happened?" Hermione and Ron walked into the room. Ron immediately sat on the chair by Ginny's side and stroked her hair.

Narcissa looked at the two new visitors in shock. As far as she knew, her son had never mentioned being civil to these two. She recognized them as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

"It was the vampire. I was tricked by him. As soon as I live the Manor, he came and tried to bite Ginny."

_Ginny? As in Weasley?_ Narcissa thought. This was definitely getting more confusing because her daughter-in-law was definitely not Ginny.

"Is she going to be ok?" Hermione asked. Tears glistened in her eyes at the thought of her best friend dying.

Draco nodded his head. "She will be. The Healer said she will be."

"Draco dear, can you tell me what's going on here?" Narcissa voiced out. Draco got up from the chair and kissed Ginny on her forehead. He walked over to Narcissa and pulled her aside to tell her everything from the day he end up at the Burrows after running away and up till the day where he got married to Ginny. Narcissa was listening calmly at her son and suddenly it dawned to her that Draco was a different person. Changing himself for the benefit of the good was definitely not taught to him by Lucius. Draco keeps on talking and explaining to her about all the plan with the Weasleys but Narcissa had shut down all of it. She pulled her son into her arms and hugged him tight.

Draco stopped talking as soon as his mother engulfed him in that hug. He was surprised at first but quickly realized that she was not angry.

"I'm so proud of you Draco. I really am." She whispered into his ear.

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you earlier mother." Draco said.

"It's ok." Narcissa said and went ahead to kiss her son on his forehead. "Can I meet your new friends then?"

"Of course." Draco holds his mother's hand and brings her to meet Ron and Hermione. A few minutes later Mr and Mrs Weasley arrived looking worried. Draco, Ron and Hermione sat on a row of chairs outside the room to let Mr and Mrs Weasley have some privacy with their daughter and to also for the first time, meet Narcissa.

Draco couldn't find the energy to talk as he thought back of the incident that had happen a few hours ago.

_She wanted me; I'm so sure of that._

_She wanted me like I wanted her._

Draco cringed at the words that Boulahrouz had conveyed. _What if it is true? But Ginny would never do that…she's not that kind of person._

"Are you ok?"

Draco's thoughts were cut off at the sound of Hermione's voice. Draco looked up at her concerned face and nodded his head.

"What really happened Draco?" She asked. Draco was about to explain to her when the door to the room opened.

"She's awake. She wants to see you first Draco." Mrs Weasley said and she stood outside the room together with Mr Weasley and Narcissa. Draco got up from his chair quickly and went inside. He shut the door behind him and walked up to Ginny who was already sitting up.

"Hey, how are you doing?" He asked and held both her hand in his.

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy." She admitted. "Draco, I'm so sorry." She started to cry.

"Shh…shh. It's fine." Draco got up and sat beside Ginny on the bed. Ginny clung on to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She rested her cheek on his chest and Draco cradled her in his arms.

"I'm so sorry Draco. I was under his spell. I…" Draco stopped her from talking by placing his lips on hers in a very gentle kiss.

"Ginny it is fine. Please stop crying." Draco begged and pressed his lips against her temples. "Shh…it's ok."

Ginny wrapped his arms around Draco's neck tighter. She felt safe right there; in his arms and him whispering in her ear. It was the same feeling that she had back at the end of sixth year when he first approached her.

She felt herself calming down and her eyelids were getting heavy. Ginny dozed off to sleep and as Draco looked at her, he knew that there was no way Ginny could have wanted Boulahrouz like he had said.

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"I wish Ginny could be here! She would totally love this!" Hermione shouted over the noise. Ron nodded in agreement.

"Too bad isn't it? This is really brilliant!" Jilly exclaimed. Hermione stood in between Jilly and Ron and behind her stood Moody who was on duty together with Jilly and Ron to protect her. Fred and George were also there to cheer Harry on.

Ron, who wasn't too excited about being on duty when he preferred to be fully concentrated on the match between England and France, had to be vigilant just in case any attack arises. As soon as the referee from Germany blows the whistle the game went ahead to a blasting start by the French Chaser who scored a goal from the half line. The English players didn't realize that the French meant business until they were 50 points down. They were forewarned that the French team were hard to beat and were mentally prepared.

Harry was determined to get the Snitch. Sports critics had said that Geremi, the French Seeker, wasn't really good and that the French team could possibly depend only on their Chasers and Keeper who were given the credit as World's Best. The English team finally scored a goal by Hawkes and this made them more determined to fight hard. The game went on for 20 minutes and England was trailing by 160 points! Harry knew that even if he caught the Snitch, England would still lose but the margin would be much narrower. He could never live the embarrassment if England loses by 210 points if Geremi caught the Snitch. He made another round around the stadium and then he spotted it. He dived down at top speed to get there before Geremi.

"Oh no, there's no way Geremi could reach it. He just noticed Potter diving down for the Golden Snitch!" The commentator screamed in delight and he was right. Geremi was trailing Harry but it was too late. Harry had the Snitch in his hands and England loses by only 10 points. Harry looked at his captain and they both shrugged knowing that it was actually for the better. At least they could go back home and not feel too embarrassed. Hawkes flew towards Harry and shook his hand.

"Good job Potter. Looks like we would have to work hard to win the next one." He said. They all landed on the ground and shook hands with the French players. They wasted no time and celebrated on the pitch. Harry had only one thing on his mind; to see Hermione. After a very short de-briefing session from Hawkes and a few pats on the back, Harry took a quick shower. He put on his favourite denim pants and a blue sweater. He made his way to the East gate to meet up with Hermione. He was surprised to see Moody standing together with them.

Hermione wasted no time and ran towards Harry. He jumped into his opened arms and buried her face in his neck. "Oh I miss you so much!"

"I miss you too." Harry replied and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Ooh..never would have thought this would finally be for real."

Hermione froze at the sound of that highly pitched voice. It was so familliar but she would never have thought it would come haunting her again. Harry was thinking the same way Hermione was. They both turned to look at the lady who was holding a quill on her right hand and a notebook on her left. She was wearing a nice white skirt and blouse and her blonde hair was tied up into a ponytail. Her pink glasses sat elegantly on her nose and her eyes were wide opened in anticipation. She put her hand out to Hermione and Harry for them to shake and they took it reluctantly.

"Lola Caden...junior reporter for the Daily Prophet...how are you?"

Hermione and Harry looked at her quizzingly. She definitely reminded them of Rita Skeeter. As if she had read their minds, she laughed irritatingly.

"I know, everyone told me that. But of course they also added that I'm much more prettier than my aunt and my stories are much more exceptional too! So tell me did the both of you see this coming? I mean the relationship of course not England losing...no offence here I hope. Len...more pictures please." She said impatiently. The photographer who was behind her kept on clicking and bright flashes of light emitted out from the camera.

"I think i have the right to say that this is none of your bloody business." Harry said angrily.

"Come on, we're using Portkey to go back to England." Hermione whispered in his ear and pulled him towards their friends.

"Anyway why is Moody here?"

"I'll explain later." Hermione said.

As soon as Harry reached the others they all congratulate him on a good game. Harry felt like they didn't lose at all. Just reaching the finals had been a record beaten for the English side. Everyone talked animatedly about the game and asked Harry a lot of questions about the other players that he had met. They were on top of a hill and Moody ordered everyone to hold on to the car tire. They landed on a secluded piece of land a few seconds later.

"Now I'm expecting everyone to go home straight. Hermione, stay with Harry, keep close. Jilly and Ron see you in the office tonight for the meeting." Moody ordered.

Harry was a little confused about the formality of it all. _Did something happen while I was gone?_ He looked at Hermione and raised his eyebrows inquisitively.

"Come on; let's go back to your place. I'll tell you everything." Hermione said. They apparated to Grimauld Place and landed in the living room. Harry put down his bag and went straight to the kitchen to get some food. Hermione followed him.

"Ok, so what was that about?" Harry asked as he bends down to look at what the refrigerator could offer.

"Harry, I have to tell you something." Hermione started.

Harry took out a bottle of orange juice and uncapped it in one swift motion. He gulped it down and left half of it on the table. He leaned on the refrigerator and waited for Hermione to explain.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier but you were living your dream so I just couldn't alright?"

"Ok…" Harry said slowly.

"My dormitory at Hogwarts was attacked…twice."

Harry's heart began to race but he remained calm. "When was the last time?"

"Erm…a few days ago." Hermione said, afraid that he would freak out.

"And what actually happened?"

"My pillows were slashed, my papers were torn, and glasses were shattered. And…"

"And?" Harry asked, afraid that it might be something worse.

"You know, the picture we took at Ginny's wedding? Erm…it was treated like a dartboard. Two knives were literally stabbed at our faces."

Harry had his eyes opened wide in shock. "When was the first time Hermione?"

"The day you left for France."

"What? So you have been keeping this away from me for a month?" His voice rising. "What were you thinking Hermione?"

Hermione cringed when he looked at her in the eye. "Harry, I didn't want you to get worried. Look at you right now and I have Ron, Jilly and Moody with me all the time since the second attack happened."

Harry had his hands clasped at the back of his head as he paced around the kitchen. He was angry, worried and a lot of confusion was running through his mind.

"Harry please stop, you're making me dizzy. Say something." Hermione pleaded distressed at the way he was acting. Hermione saw his jaw clenching and unclenching. "Harry say something…please." Hermione hung her head guiltily. Harry stopped and looked at his girlfriend. He walked up to her and pulled her closer to him.

"I'm sorry." Harry began. Hermione could feel him relaxing and wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. "I just care so much about you. What if you were hurt and I wasn't there? I can't lose you Hermione, especially not that way." Harry tilted her chin and kissed her softly. When they drew apart, her face crumpled.

"I'm really sorry Harry. I promise I won't keep you in the dark again." Hermione whispered.

"You have to let me protect you Hermione."

"You already did…countless times during the war and you have no idea how scared I was everytime you dived in front of me to pushed me away from a curse. You have no idea Harry how afraid I was everytime I turned around from my sleep and saw that you weren't there." She drew a shuddering breath when Harry traced her jaw line with his finger. "I would give anything to be by your side, to make sure that you would never ever try endangering your life for me again."

"But I'm your boyfriend now." Harry said matter-of-factly. "I _want_ to protect you."

Hermione kissed Harry on his lips so that they wouldn't have to talk about that again. He was a little surprised by her move but he didn't resist it. He didn't know that she was capable of being aggressive this way. Hermione started to kiss him passionately and was holding on to him tighter and tighter. It felt good. Without breaking the kiss, Harry led her to the living room, so that they could sit on the couch.

"Wait one more thing." Hermione said breathlessly. "Ginny."

"We can talk about Ginny later…after we finish this?" Harry did not let Hermione say anything. He cupped her face and kissed her, letting his tongue wander over her lips. She sighed into his mouth. He pressed his body against hers and it made her moan in pleasure. He kept kissing her over and over again, wanting all of her. She responded positively and snaked her fingers through Harry's messy hair. He rested his forehead on hers and he stopped moving.

Hermione looked into his beautiful emerald eyes and blushed. Harry kissed her neck and murmured softly, telling her that she was beautiful. She had to sigh contentedly. She slipped her hands into his sweater and felt the warmth of his tight abs. She took his hand and guided him to the end of her robes. She moved them towards up the blouse she was wearing.

Harry felt the warmth of her back and pulled her much closer to him. As his hands grazed over the strap of her bra, Harry had to stop and looked at her. "Is this…ok?" He asked.

Hermione tilted her head to one side and chuckled. She nodded her head shyly. At that moment, all she wanted was Harry to touch every part of her body.

"Then let's take it up to my room." Harry whispered playfully. He carried Hermione in his arms and apparted them to his bedroom.

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The next morning, Hermione woke up to the soft sound of Harry's heartbeat. Harry's arms were wrapped around her in a comfort that she had never felt before. She snuggled closer to Harry and breathed in his scent. She looked up to his face and smiled. She propped herself up on one elbow and kissed his jaw line, wanting him to wake up. Harry brushed her kisses away and she giggled. She nipped on Harry's ear instead.

"Hermione stop it." He murmured sleepily.

"You want me to go away?" Hermione whispered into his ear but she didn't receive any reply. "Ok then, I'll go."

She was about to got up from bed but Harry pulled her down and tickled her sides. "Got you!"

Hermione screamed for him to stop. He placed his lips on hers and gave her a long lingering kiss. They drew apart to catch their breath, their chest rising and falling rapidly. Harry was about to start kissing her again but Hermione stopped him.

"We haven't talk about Ginny."

Harry sighed in frustration. "Fine…fine. What about Ginny?"

"No only that, I think I'll update you on what have been happening between the Order and Draco."

"Is this going to be long? Can we have breakfast before we talk? I'm hungry…I mean we definitely had used a lot of energy last night." Harry added cheekily.

Hermione punched his arms and Harry rubbed it off. "That was hard." Harry said. "I'll cook. You don't have to do anything." Harry said trying to convince Hermione. "We can talk while having breakfast." He added when he saw Hermione started to cross her arms across her chest.

Hermione relented and nodded her head. "Ok." Harry kissed her forehead and tugged the blanket to wrap it around his waist.

"Oh no, the blanket is mine Harry."

"You don't expect me to walk around naked do you?" Harry asked in disbelief.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well…it's not something I haven't seen." She pushed him off the bed. "Go wear your boxers."

"Merlin! You're really something you know that?" Harry got up in search of his boxers. Hermione meanwhile was enjoying the view. "Stop looking at me like that." Harry said while putting on his boxers. "I'll see you downstairs." He said without turning back. A small smile crossed his face and he shook his head in embarrassment. He promised that he wouldn't let Hermione win next time.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!

mia: Thanks for reviewing! Of course i'm going to keep on posting until the story ends.

pstibbons: I love your reviews...it's so quirky and it always makes me laugh. As for the pictures part, I would like to think that Hermione is not the kind of girl who will buy Harry's pictures from Colin...that is saw 'stalker-ish'. LOL!


	25. Tell Me The Truth

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter.

**Author's note**: First of all, sorry for the very late update. I couldn't find the time to do it. So i'm taking this opportunity of the long holiday to do it. I have a few more chapters until i end it coz my plan is to end it at chapter 30 and we are at 25 now.

In this chapter, things starts to get weird and there are many things happening at the same time. Try not to get confused. Meanwhile, enjoy reading and leave erviews at the end!

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Ginny walked through a dark corridor. She wrapped the robes that she was wearing around her tighter to keep herself warm. On her left and right were rows and rows of doors; doors that she wanted so much to open. She reached out to the first one and gave the knob a twist. It opened easily. She peered inside and saw that it was completely empty. She pulled the door towards her to close it. She went through a few more doors and was disappointed by the same emptiness. She opened the eighth door and saw an armchair that was facing the window and a four poster bed on the right side of the room. The curtains on the window were drawn and the fireplace on the left was burning furiously. She walked towards the armchair when she saw a hand resting on the left arm of the chair.

"Draco I've been searching for you. Why are you not down for dinner?" She asked.

There was silence. "Draco?" Ginny whispered. Her heart was beating so fast she thought that she could hear it herself. "Draco?" She said again as she got nearer to the chair.

"I'm glad you're back Giselle…I've been waiting for you. I think we can now continue where we stopped before that husband of yours interrupts." A cold voice said. Boulahrouz stood up and grabbed Ginny by her arms. "Where were we?" He said and looked at Ginny in her eyes. Boulahrouz wasted no time and sank his fangs into her skin, drinking all of her.

Ginny screamed with all her might.

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"Ginny! Ginny! I'm right here." Draco said holding on to her arms. Ginny opened her eyes. She was sweating and her eyes showed fear and horror. Draco embraced her in a tight hug and let her cry on his chest.

"He's in the house! He's in the house!" Ginny said uncontrollably.

"Shh…I'm right here Gin. Hold me…it'll be alright." Draco said soothingly. Draco kissed her forehead and holds her head close to his chest. This was the second night that she had woken Draco up with her screams. It was disturbing to think that Ginny was having difficulties forgetting that day when she was almost bitten by Boulahrouz.

He felt Ginny relaxing in his arms and he holds her throughout the night. He looked at her sleeping and felt that jolt in his stomach again. He looked at her eyes, her nose and her lips. He then realized something. A feeling of warmth rushed through his heart and his body. He was falling in love with Ginny Weasley.

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Three days had passed since Ginny woke up for the second night. She had begun to take control of her fear. She had no more nightmares of Boulahrouz attacking her. Draco was relieved that she didn't wake up screaming anymore. He knew that Ginny was a strong woman. She's tough and it was one of the reasons why he liked her.

Draco walked along the street of Diagon Alley with a lighter heart. A few days ago, he was not able to live the day without a single worry in his mind. But that day, he knew that Ginny would be fine. She was spending the day with Narcissa and Martha. They were on a short weekend trip to Scotland. Draco had asked for help from Narcissa to take his wife somewhere she could relax. Martha agreed with him when he said that he wants Ginny to be more relaxed before she resumed her 'duties' in the big plan. Ginny was worried of course and insisted that she was fine. After some coaxing from Draco, she relented.

"There you are. You're 15 minutes late." Pansy complained.

"I'm sorry about that. So where's Blaise?" Draco asked.

"He couldn't make it. So it's just the two of us." Draco felt a little uneasy when she said 'just the two of us'. "So how's Giselle?"

"She's fine. She's in Scotland with my mother and grandmother."

"For how long?"

"Just the weekend,"

Pansy nodded and played with the emerald necklace hanging around her neck. _That's all I need. _

"So, what about tonight? The party that Blaise and I were talking about at the Muggle town in London. Want to come along with us?" Pansy asked.

Draco chuckled at the invitation. "Erm…I don't mix well with muggles."

"Oh come on Draco. Just one night."

"I'll think about it."

Pansy looked at him and gave her best flirtatious smile. She saw him smiling back shyly. "So we'll get you later alright? Nine sharp." She walked away from Draco but not before planting a kiss just right beside his lips.

She smiled to herself knowing that she already have him in her hands. _Now with Giselle gone, this is going to be easy_. She apparated to Boulahrouz's castle where she knew he was waiting. Just like she had expected, he was waiting for her in the guest room. Two other vampires flanked on his left and right.

"I got him. Giselle is in Scotland." Pansy said with confidence in her voice. Boulahrouz looked up and met her eye. She felt like her blood had turn ice cold. On the day Draco had told Blaise and her that he was in league with other Death Eaters and a lot of other people to avenge the death of the Dark Lord, Pansy was surprised that Draco was part of this. Blaise was surprised too but he had to be the good guy and told Draco that he didn't think it was a good idea to do so now that Giselle had become a victim of all these plans. Pansy instead edged him on and that was when it clicked to her that she could work together with Boulahrouz to get Draco back. When she went to see Boulahrouz in his castle, she knew that he would not trust her. But she also knew that he wanted Giselle so much that he would not passed a good opportunity.

"Are you sure about that witch? You know you shouldn't play games with me." Boulahrouz warned.

"He just told me that Giselle has gone to Scotland for a break." Pansy said calmly. "So now, I think that I should do my job and you do yours."

"I admit that you indeed have done your part. But it's not over yet. I assumed that the plan will go on tonight?"

"Of course."

Boulahrouz nodded his head in satisfaction. "You can leave." He said and Pansy apparated back to her parent's house. She was excited at the prospect of having Draco back in her life by midnight. She opened her vast wardrobe and picked out a few dresses and laid it out on her bed. After trying on everything, she decided on a red halter dress that fits on every curve of her body. She tied her long black hair into a loosed bun and put on just a light makeup. She wasn't interested in attracting other guys in the club tonight. Tonight, she just wants Draco. She took her black slingback heels and put it on. She spritzed on some perfume on her wrist, neck and behind her ears.

"Pansy! Your date's here." She heard her mother said. She went down the stairs excitedly knowing that it was Draco. She knew that he would come for her and sure enough, he was standing at the base of the stairs. When he heard her coming down, he looked up and smile at her.

"I hope I'm not early." He said. Pansy paused at the foot of the staircase and gave him a hug. "You look gorgeous." He whispered into her ear and Pansy tingled with excitement.

"Let's go." She said. They apparated to the deserted street leading to the muggle club. Music was thumping noisily and Pansy heard laughters in the distant.

"So I assumed Blaise will be meeting us here?" Draco asked.

"You should know him better. I bet he's already on the dance floor." Pansy lied. They walked into the club and Pansy pulled Draco towards the bar. She was used to being around muggles especially in a club like this. She could see that Draco was reluctant at first but he also had easily relaxed himself and blend into the crowd.

"You got to try this one." Pansy said and pushed another glass of shot in front of him.

"Are you sure? The last one almost killed me." Draco said. Pansy rolled her eyes, beginning to enjoy the night. Just a few shots and all Draco could feel were the thumping sound in his head. He didn't know how all these muggles can survive drinking so much of these alcoholic drinks. He was glad Pansy didn't push him any further. He looked at Pansy who was flirting with him. He smiled at her and the pulled her to the dance floor. He didn't know why he did that but he knew that he wants to.

Pansy kept close to him, holding his waist and gyrating her body on to his. They were so close together and Draco suddenly felt hot and sweaty. But he didn't care. Pansy keeps on whispering dirty things in his ear and he got more and more aroused. _Why is this girl making me feel this way?_

He looked at Pansy and gave her a smile. He pulled her face closer to his and kissed her hard on her lips. She felt her sighing and kissed her more. When he felt her kissing back, all he could think about was her.

Meanwhile, Pansy was enjoying that moment. She had finally had him in her grasps. "Draco, let's take this somewhere else." She whispered in his ear huskily.

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"Oh I'm so tired." Ginny said when she lay on the bed.

"Me too." Narcissa said and she lay beside Ginny. "But that was fun."

"I don't know how the both of you can handle all these shopping. I'm going to retire now. It's already ten and we're heading back to the manor early tomorrow morning. I suggest you both do the same." Martha said. She walked out of Ginny's room and made her way to hers.

Ginny closed her eyes and sighed. She couldn't wait to go back to the Manor. She actually missed Draco. She also realized something. All these time, she had Draco by her side. Just one day without him had actually made her heart ache for him. She became conscious that she was falling in love with Draco. She had kept it silent, afraid that it would freak him out.

"I'm going to sleep too my dear. You take care alright?" Narcissa said. She got up from the bed and gave Ginny a kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight mother."

"Goodnight Ginny."

Ginny didn't bother to change into her nightgown. She was too tired. She pulled the blankets up to her chin and immediately fell asleep. But a few minutes later, she was awoken by a familiar chillness in the air. She knew that he was here. Ginny took her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at all direction.

"Come out Boulahrouz. I'm much more prepared than last time."

"Well, well. I'm impressed." The cold voice said. Ginny looked to her left and saw that he was standing beside the wardrobe.

"What do you want Boulahrouz?" Ginny said, her wand pointing directly at him.

"I just want to talk." Ginny looked at him suspiciously and made sure that her wand was still pointing at him. "I'll stay right here and you can keep on pointing your wand at me…I'm fine with that." Ginny remained speechless. "So…let me make this easy and clear for you Giselle…you know I want you."

Ginny felt disgusted at his words. She felt like every part of her body had somehow been infected by a disease. "I want to make a preposition…if you don't mind." Boulahrouz continued. "Be my queen Giselle."

Ginny had to laugh at his statement. "Quit kidding around Boulahrouz. There is no definite way I'm gong to be your queen!"

"Oh really? Not even this?" Boulahrouz asked. He waved his right hand in the air in front of him and a cloud of thin smoke appeared. Slowly and clearly, an image started to appear. Ginny squinted her eyes to see it clearly. What she saw shocked her beyond words. She immediately recognizes the blond hair. The blond hair that she love running her hands through when they were making love. But she felt like her stomach had been punched when she saw him kissing…not her but another woman who she had no problems recognizing. Her black hair and pale face says it all.

"This is not happening." She whispered to herself.

"I'm sorry. What is it that you said?" Boulahrouz asked.

"This is an illusion!" Ginny cried out impatiently. "Don't play games with me Boulahrouz. Draco will not do that to me." Ginny said hoping and hoping that her words were true.

"Well, well. You really trust him do you?" Boulahrouz asked. When Ginny did not reply, he chuckled. "Take my hand."

"No!"

"Take my hand and I'll show you that this is not an illusion!"

"I don't trust you!"

"Fine by me. If you change your mind, I'll be at the Malfoy Manor…just outside the bedroom that you and Draco _used_ to share. Then you can do whatever you magical beings do to get there…what's the word? Apparate or something?" Boulahrouz said and disappeared.

Ginny dropped to the floor and buried her face in her hands. _What's happening? What should I do?_ She knew she won't be able to sleep until she witnessed it with her own eyes. _Do I trust Draco?_ She also knew that Draco did not have the best reputation when it comes to girls. She was afraid that she would be hurt but it disturbed her that her heart was hammering her chest, telling her she should witness it.She grabbed her robes and apparated to the Manor. True enough, Boulahrouz was there pacing in front of the door. Her heart suddenly feared that the truth was coming.

"There you are. I knew you'd come." Boulahrouz whispered confidently. "Ready? Because I want you to open that door. I'm just here to guide you. I'll come for you when you need me."

Ginny looked at him through slitted eyes. She hated the sight of him. When he disappeared, she walked slowly towards the door and places her hand on the knob. She twisted and pushed the door opened. Her eyes were closed and she opened them. Ginny broke down instantly at the sight of Draco kissing Pansy passionately on the bed. They didn't even notice her presence until she called out Draco's name.

"Draco?" She trembled.

"Oh, she's here." Pansy said and they both turned to look at Ginny. "Tell her Draco. Tell her about us."

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Draco looked at Ginny and saw fresh tears pouring down her cheeks. He then turned his attention to Pansy who was smiling at him. He caressed her cheeks and looked into her eyes.

"I'll tell her." He said. He walked over to Ginny and pulled her aside. "I can't be with you anymore."

"What? What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

"I want to be in a relationship with Pansy, that's what I meant." Draco said with no ounce of emotion in his voice.

"Draco stopped! Pansy you can't do this!" Blaise cried.

"What are you doing here Zabini?" Pansy asked threateningly.

"I saw you and Draco in the club and I know what you're doing. Pansy he's a married man!"

Draco ignored Blaise's words and turned his attention back to Ginny who was talking to him. "Draco, tell me that you don't love me. Look at me in the eye and tell me that you have never felt anything for me when we make love. I need you to tell me."

"I don't love you." Draco said as he looked at her in the eye. Ginny nodded her head and let go of her grasp on Draco's arms. She ran out the door, unable to control her tears.

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"Giselle!" Blaise called out.

"Leave me alone Blaise. I need to be alone." Ginny said and disapparate so that Blaise would not be able to get to her. She landed in her room at the hotel in Scotland. She lay down on her bed and sobbed into the pillow. Tears continuously poured out of her eyes. Her heart had never been ripped this badly before. Draco had looked at her in the eye and told her that she was nothing to him.

"Ginny dear, what happened?" She heard Martha asking. Ginny didn't looked up; she remained down on the bed.

Martha felt her stomach constrict as she read the thoughts running through Ginny's mind. "Ginny dear come here." She said and pulled Ginny into her arms. Ginny kept on crying softly on Martha's shoulder. "Cry your heart our sweetheart. It's ok."

"My heart really hurts. It really hurts." Ginny managed to say. Narcissa walked into the room with a vial of Dreamless Sleep potion in her hands. Martha had silently told her to bring the potion into the room.

"Drink this, my child." Narcissa said and gave it to Ginny who willingly took it and finished it in a few gulps.

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The next morning, Ginny woke up from a deep sleep. Her head was thumping so she closed her eyes back again. It then dawned on her on what had happened the previous night. She realised that she had no more tears for Draco. She turned to her side and snuggled into the duvet and closed her eyes once more.

"Good morning." Narcissa greeted.

"Hi. Good morning." Ginny replied with a small voice.

"Can I lie down next to you?"

"Of course." Ginny replied. Narcissa slipped into the duvet and stared into the ceiling. They remained silent for a few minutes before Narcissa broke the silence.

"Are you feeling any better?"

Ginny nodded her head. Her eyes were empty like her heart. Narcissa took her hand and squeezed it tightly. _How could Draco do this to her?_ But Narcissa believed that it couldn't have been Draco. _He must be under some spell._

"You think so?" Ginny asked her. Narcissa smiled at her daughter-in-law's capability.

"It was Pansy you said?" Narcissa asked and Ginny nodded. "Well I've never trusted her. She looks sneaky. But Lucius adores her!" Ginny smiled at that statement.

"But he looked at me right in the eye and told me that he didn't love me. It's all in his eyes." Ginny said sadly. They remained quiet again for a few more minutes. The silence was comfortable and comforting for Ginny.

"Let's head home." Narcissa said.

"I can't. I just can't. I'm going back to the Burrow. I can't face Draco."

Narcissa did not push any further. She nodded her head and kissed Ginny on her forehead. "Owl me if you need anything alright?" Ginny nodded her head. "Check out is in 15 minutes. I'll see you at the lobby."

Narcissa made her way to her room and write a quick letter to the Weasleys. She wanted Molly and Arthur to know what had happened so that Ginny would not have to explain anything when she arrives. It was too much for her to have to repeat the disturbing incident. After writing, she released the Malfoy's owl, Peridot, to send the letter to the Weasleys. She was still convinced that Draco was tricked by Pansy because a few days ago, she saw love in her son's eyes whenever he looked at Ginny. Feelings don't change in a few seconds she had always believed, like how she still had loving feelings for her husband Lucius Malfoy, eventhough he had the reputation for being notorious and cunning. She missed Lucius and she always would.

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The next day after the incident, Blaise apparated to the Malfoy Manor and was greeted by a house elf. He sat on the sofa and tapped his foot impatiently. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs and turned his head to see Draco.

"Draco we need to talk." Blaise said.

"Well you got to hurry mate. Pansy and I are going out for lunch." Draco said.

Blaise shook his head in dismay. _This is serious than I though it was_.

"What's serious?" Draco asked. Blaise had totally forgotten that his best friend could now read people's mind at his will.

"Look, Draco, you're under a spell of some sort. You're not in love with Pansy. It's Giselle you're in love with." Blaise said almost pleading.

"Zabini stay out of these!" Blaise looked up to see Pansy on the stairs heading towards him. She pulled Blaise to one side to talk to him. "I'm warning you Zabini. This is my life you're meddling with!"

"You got to stop it Pansy. It's this necklace isn't it? The one that belongs to your great-great-grandmother? Remember fifth year Pansy? You told me that if you could get a hold of it, you will use it on Draco to get his attention. I remember Pansy." Blaise said. He saw Pansy's face changed with fear.

"I will not let you ruin this Zabini. Stay away!" Pansy said. She turned her back towards Blaise and stomped off.

"I'm sorry Pansy." He whispered. He took out his wand and pointed it to her. "_Petrificus Totalus!_"

Pansy dropped down on the floor. Her body was rigid and her eyes wide opened.

"Blaise why did you do that for?!" Draco asked and ran towards Pansy's body. Blaise walked towards them and remove the necklace from Pansy's neck. He pocketed it in his pants pocket and watched Draco.

"Draco are you ok?" He asked. Draco shut his eyes and shook his head as if trying to regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and looked at Blaise and then at Pansy.

"What happened? Draco asked.

"Draco you were under her spell! Don't you remember anything?" Blaise asked and when Draco shook his head, he sighed exasperatedly. "You've created a mess Draco, I don't know how you're going to solve this one."

"Does this have anything to do with my wife?" Draco asked in fear.

"I'm afraid so my friend."

"What happened?" Draco asked Blaise. "Blaise you got to tell me what happened."

"You hurt her Draco."

"What did I do?" Draco asked nervously.

"You told her you don't love her." Blaise said regretfully.

"_Finite Incatatem_". Draco whispered as he pointed his wand to Pansy.

She immediately got up and held on to Draco's arms. "Draco please, I just want your attention. I didn't mean to hurt anyone. Please believe me." She cried out hysterically.

"Get out Pansy. Don't ever let me see you again." Draco said portentously. Pansy was crying, seeking sympathy from Draco but he was implacable. He turned his back on her and walked back towards his room. Pansy dropped on the floor and cried hard. Blaise looked at her pitifully.

"Let's get you out of here." Blaise said. He put his right arm around Pansy' shoulder and apparate them to his place.

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Draco sat on his bed with his head in his hands. _What have I done? How am I going to get out of this one?_ Draco heard the door clicked but did not turn around to see who it was.

"Draco dear are you fine?" He heard Narcissa asking.

"I don't know what to do mother. I have created a mess. How's Ginny?" Draco asked, afraid of what he was going to hear.

"She's doing pretty well I see. She's not coming back Draco."

"I have to get her back…explain to her."

"Then go. Bring her back. I know that it wasn't you when she told me what happened. You know I've never trusted Pansy." Narcissa said.

"What should I tell her?" Draco asked.

"That's up to you."

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Ginny went into the bathroom again. It was the third time that morning and probably countless times since the last two days. She threw up in the toilet bowl and flushed it down. She was feeling a little weak.

"Oh my Ginny dear. We have to get to St Mungo's. This is pretty bad and you not eating well will not help get you any better." Mrs Weasley said. "No buts now, come on."

Mrs Weasley supported her daughter's weight on her and carried her back to her room. She helped Ginny put on her robes and apparate them to St Mungo's. As soon as they reached the lobby, Ginny was helped on to a wheelchair and straight into an emergency room. A Healer approached Mrs Weasley and told her that everything was going to be fine.

Ginny was sweating and feeling a little warm. She heard voices around her and assumed that her Healer was checking on her.

"Mrs Malfoy? Can you hear me?" Ginny cringed at that name, she hated it. "We have injected a Calming potion into your body. We are just going to run some test alright?" Ginny nodded and let her do whatever she needed to do.

A few minutes later, she was transferred to a different room where she had to wait for the test results. She was glad Mrs Weasley was by her side throughout the ordeal. Ginny dozed off for a short nap and was awaken by Mrs Weasley.

"Ginny dear, wake up. Your Healer is here."

Ginny opened her eyes and squinted to see her Healer clearly. "Hi Mrs Malfoy. I'm your Healer. You can call me Carrie." Ginny nodded her head to acknowledge Carrie.

"I have some news for you Mrs Malfoy. Everything is fine. No sickness or diseases of any sort but I have more good news for you. You're two weeks pregnant!"

"What?!" Ginny asked in shock. _What makes she think this is good news?_ Ginny shook her head. "Maybe you got the results wrong. Maybe you took the wrong results. I can't be pregnant. I cannot be pregnant!" Ginny wept. The Healer looked at Ginny's actions in horror.

"It's ok Carrie. She's just a bit emotional. Erm…you can leave us now." Mrs Weasley said. Carrie nodded curtly and looked at Ginny pitifully.

"Just call me if you need me alright?" She said. Mrs Weasley nodded and Carrie left the room to let them have some privacy.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: I'm so glad you're back!!! Well not only you but lots of other authors potray Blaise as a sexy Italian and my guess is probably his name which does sounds Italian. I won't be ableto update weekly like i use to but i'm hoping that i will get to. Anyway i hope you will like this one!

fleeting.ideas: Hey you! I thought you won't be back! Keep on reading!!!


	26. Unveiling the Mystery

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's Note**: Thanks for all the review that i got from the last chapter! It got me excited. Anyway things will start to escalade in this chapter. All the action will soon come out in the next 2 chapters. Leave reviews at the end!

On a side note, i'm trying to post 2 chapters a week coz school are starting again and i'm hoping to finish posting all chapters before things starts to get really busy. So i'm going to try.

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Natalie Avery got up from her bed and took her invisibility cloak with her. She made her way out of the Slytherin dungeons and managed to slip out unnoticed. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest. She found the room that she was supposed to be in to meet Croyd.

"Croyd…show yourself." Natalie whispered.

"I'm here mistress." Natalie heard a very loud pop sound and turned around. Behind her stood a House Elf that had done her bad deeds for her. Croyd had belonged to her uncle but as soon as the Dark Lord was defeated, most of the house elves that were under Death Eaters were brought to Hogwarts. Natalie managed to track down Croyd and thought that he would be a good helper to destroy the subject that she hated.

"You did a good job Croyd." Natalie praised. Croyd nodded his head and bow curtly.

"It was my pleasure Mistress Avery."

"Professor Granger hasn't suspected anything yet. She's coming back tomorrow though. We will not destroy her room again until I told you to do so. You understand?"

"Very well mistress."

"You can go now." Croyd popped out of the room and Natalie quickly made her way back to the dungeons.

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"Please you got to let me talk to her. She has to know that I didn't do any of that on purpose. Please." Draco begged for the tenth time. Draco looked up to the window that he knew was Ginny's bedroom. "Ginny please, we should talk." Draco shouted.

Mrs Weasley looked at the desperation of her son-in-law. She was under strict orders not to let him in but she knew better that both Ginny and Draco should talk.

"Draco…shhh. Come in my son…just keep it quiet." Mrs Weasley relented.

"Thank you so much." Draco said and made his way in.

"You have to talk to her. She's a little stubborn but I'm sure you will be able to get through to her somehow." Mrs Weasley said whispering to make sure that Ginny would not be able to hear. Draco nodded his head. "Go on now." Mrs Weasley edged on.

Draco walked up the stairs and when he reached Ginny's room, he took a deep breath. He twisted the doorknob and peered inside. Ginny was lying down on her bed with her back turned against him.

"Ginny." He called out. Ginny turned and sighed impatiently.

"I told mother not to let you in!" She got up from her bed and walked out of the room, brushing hard pass Draco. Draco sighed inwardly. He followed Ginny down the stairs and out the back door. He couldn't miss the deathly stare that she had given Mrs Weasley.

"Get away from me you jerk! I hate you!" Ginny shouted. She looked around at her surroundings and sighed frustrated. Flowers were starting to bloom in the backyard. Everything was colourful. There were yellow, red, lilac and pink flowers blooming everywhere. The grass was warm and Ginny loved walking barefooted during spring. Her favourite season had not managed to cheer her up at all.

"No you don't."

"Oh! And what made you so confident Malfoy. Look at me! I said I hate you so go!" Ginny shouted looking at Draco. She turned her back to Draco and tried calming herself down.

"Ginny…you know I will never do that to you. I know I wasn't the best guy to trust back at Hogwarts but that was different. People can change Ginny and I've changed. So just…believe me alright?" Draco said. When Ginny said nothing, he knew that he hadn't convinced her. "Ginny…" Draco knew what he had to do. He swallowed his pride and prays hard that this would work. Nobody had made him so happy until Ginny came along. No one had made him want to change so much until she came along and most importantly, no one had made him feel so much love in his heart until he got married to Ginny Weasley.

"Ginny, I need you. I…I love you Ginny Weasley. I don't want anyone else I just want you." Draco said almost whispering. He had laid his heart and feelings out in the open and only Ginny had made him do that.

Ginny felt like her breath was caught in her throat. Then she heard it, right inside her head and tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"_Ginny I really am in love with you. Please believe me_." She had always loved hearing Draco's soothing voice in her head.

She turned to face Draco who was looking down at his feet. "I'm sorry."

Draco looked up at the sound of her voice. "What for?"

"For making life a living hell for you…for making you go through this." Ginny said softly. Draco took the few steps he needed to stand right in front of his wife. He took her hand in his and kissed both of them lightly.

"Ginny I mean what I said. So forgive me…I really love you Ginny." He said. As he said those words, Draco looked right at her in the eye, pouring his emotions to her, hoping that she could see it. Ginny wrapped her arms around Draco's neck tightly and sobbed into his neck.

"I love you too Draco Malfoy. I love you." She said. Draco smiled upon hearing the words he was hoping to hear. He lifted Ginny off the ground and hold on to her tightly. He buried his face in her hair and couldn't stop smiling. When he put her down to look at her, he noticed that she had a serious look on her face. He raised his eyebrow questioningly at her.

"Do you have one more room in your heart to love someone?" She asked.

"Huh?" He asked confusingly. He looked at her face in search of an answer. Ginny took his right hand and place it on her stomach.

"Draco…I'm pregnant."

Draco was taken aback by the words that had come out from Ginny's mouth. _Pregnant? Pregnant?!_ He looked at Ginny who was staring back at him. She smiled at him and then started to laugh.

"I'm sorry. Did I frighten you?" Ginny asked. Draco shook his head.

"No…not at all. So I'm going to be a father?" Ginny nodded her head enthusiastically. "Me? A father? I'm going to be a father Ginny!"

"Yes you are." Ginny said laughing. He picked Ginny up again and twirled her around. Ginny screamed in delight, enjoying the breeze that was blowing on her face.

"Thank you." Draco whispered in her ear. "Thank you Ginny." He said and caressed her cheeks. He brought her face closer to his and kissed her gently on the lips. He missed her. He had missed how it felt to have his lips on his, to have her arms wrapping around his neck and he missed how good it felt everytime she was near him. He looked at Ginny when they drew apart and brought her face closer to his again for another kiss.

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Boulahrouz screamed in anger. He took the vase that was standing on the coffee table and smashed it on the wall behind him. His two guards looked at each other uncomfortable.

"Nedved, Veron…I want that witch dead! If you fail, you know the consequences!"

They both left in haste and Boulahrouz was still fuming mad. The plan had not worked out. Giselle, he had heard is now back with Draco Malfoy and he knew that the witch that he had worked with had failed. His reputation was at stake because of that dumb witch whom he should not have trusted in the first place.

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"Alright come on Ron, time for our patrol. Put it all away." Jilly said impatiently.

"Hmm…it just looks like…" Ron said and walked up to Jilly. "..You just want to spend time with me." He finished and pulled Jilly closer to him for a kiss. When they drew apart, Jilly smiled at him.

"You never fail to make me laugh eh?" Jilly said. They were about to leave when their supervisor, Malcolm Hunter, walked in.

"I'm lucky both of you have not left yet. He's here. The American guy who will be on the Professor Granger case together with both of you is here. I have actually asked Cabot and Cahill to cover your duty tonight so you can show him around."

"So where is this guy?" Ron asked.

"Come on outside, I'll introduce him to you." Malcolm beckoned. Jilly and Ron. Jilly hold on to Ron's arms when Malcolm led them.

"I'm nervous. What if this guy is an idiot and don't know how we English Aurors work?" Jilly said.

"You worry too much." Ron said. Jilly and Ron saw a guy who had his back against them. He was apparently flirting with the Auror's department receptionist, Diana. She was giggling like a school girl. The guy had long blond hair and it was combed neatly. He was tall and lean. When he turned around at the sound of Malcolm's voice, Jilly was surprised.

"Donavan!" Jilly screamed in delight.

"You got to be kidding me! Jilly…oh my you're looking prettier." Donavan said. They gave each other a hug. Ron looked at them and he felt a strange knot in his stomach.

"Well, looks to me that you already know Mr Friedel here." Malcolm said.

"Of course. I met him at the Summer Magical School in California after my last year at Hogwarts." Jilly said.

"Then I guess this need no further introduction." Malcolm said and walked away. When he was gone, Jilly puled Donavan into another hug.

"I missed you! You didn't owl me for so many years. What happened?"

"Oh…this and that." Donavan replied playfully.

Ron cleared his throat. Jilly turned to face him and blushed slightly. She realized that she had totally forgotten about her boyfriend. Jilly took his arm and squeeze it lightly.

"Donavan, this is my boyfriend, Ronald Weasley." Jilly introduced.

"No way! One of the Golden Trio?" Donavan exclaimed, genuinely surprised. He shook Ron's hand and smiled at him. Jilly nodded enthusiastically. "So does this mean you can introduce me to Miss Hermione Granger? Like you know more personally and not just a client? I always thought smart girls are sexy and she's pretty too." Donavan said without an ounce of embarrassment in his voice. It sounded like he usually passed this kind of comments. Ron was uncomfortable hearing a stranger saying such things about one his best friends. Jilly swatted Donavan's arms when she saw Ron's facial expression.

"Oh sorry." Donavan said.

"Well maybe we could go have dinner together and you," Jilly pointed to Donavan, "will be telling me what I have been missing for the past four years." Jilly walked on with Donavan. "I'm so glad I don't have to worry anymore. I was telling Ron how nervous I was but now that I know that we'll be working with you, everything will be fine."

Ron rolled his eyes. His stomach felt that strange knot again. It felt like his intestines were tied together in a mess. He was jealous.

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Pansy stared into the air. She was looking paler than usual. Her eyes were hollow, completely empty and sad. Blaise looked over at her and sighed. He brought the cup of hot chocolate to her. She had been staying in his apartment since the dramatic episode between Draco and her. She had finally stopped crying the day before but Blaise knew that she was still probably hurting.

He had warned her. He had told her to stay away but being her usual stubborn herself, she did not listen. Blaise erased the word stubborn from his head and recognized Pansy as more of a determined girl. She would do anything to get what she wants. He had always admired that part of her and everytime she got her hands on the thing she had been fighting for; she smiled like a little girl, squealing in delight.

"Pansy…come on. You need to drink this. It's good for you. You haven't been eating much." Blaise said soothingly. Pansy looked up at him at the mention of her name.

"We're back in first names now?" Pansy asked her tone mundane.

"Yes we are." Blaise replied patiently. "Now will you please drink? I'm making dinner later. What would you like?"

"The usual." Pansy said and obeyed Blaise by taking a sip of the hot chocolate. He was surprised but sighed with relief. He covered her left hand with his and squeezed it gently. He got up from the sofa and prepares dinner, starting with Pansy's 'usual' which Blaise knew as spaghetti with meatballs. A few minutes later, Pansy walked into the kitchen and stood beside Blaise. She sighed softly and leaned her head on his arms.

"Can I help?" She asked softly. Blaise chuckled lightly.

"Of course." Blaise said, now even more relieved that she was finally talking.

"Can I tell you something? Something I discovered on that night I had with Draco." Pansy said as she cut the tomatoes as instructed by Blaise.

"Is this supposed to be a secret?"

Pansy shrugged. "I'm not sure but I need to tell someone. I think it's important."

"Then tell me. I'm listening." Blaise said seriously and Pansy started talking.

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A week, after Ginny and Draco got back together; they told everyone the good news. Mr and Mrs Weasley were very delighted. Hermione cried a little upon hearing the good news of her best friend's pregnancy and Harry and Ron even shook hands with Draco to congratulate him. But the excitement soon died down when Draco announced to Mr and Mrs Weasley that the plan that they have been part of will be in action in a few days time.

"But what about Ginny? Can you handle it? Will she be in a lot of stress? Stress is not good for her right now." Mrs Weasley babbled.

"Molly, she is going to be fine. Martha and I are going to make sure she'll be fine." Narcissa said, assuring the Weasleys that Ginny would be well taken care of.

"I will be ok mother." Ginny assured.

"She will be fine. I know she will be. She's tough." Draco said with a hint of admiration in his voice. Hermione looked at Draco closely and noticed how much he had change. The tension between Harry and Ron and him was of course still evident but she could see that he was sincere towards Ginny. He cared for her and he wanted her to be alright. He was definitely a changed man.

"We have all planned everything so we are prepared. The year of the snake will come soon in a few days time and that's when it will all start. At the strike of midnight, Draco and Ginny will combine their magical powers that the Death Eaters believe will release the utmost evil to the world." Martha explained. "But of course, we have planned not to let that happen. As soon as the combined powers of Draco and Ginny are emitted, the Order will take their place to cut all evil ties. We really hope it will work."

"We'll do everything right this time Molly. Don't worry too much." Mr Weasley assured his wife.

Mrs Weasley looked up at her husband and smiled at him, trusting his every word.

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Donavan walked around Hermione's dorm room and took notes every now and then. Hermione found it really helpless. Her room was all back in place. No papers are messing up the floor, pillows were back on the sofa and the bed where they belong and all the glasses were arranged neatly on a tray. _How can all the normality help Donavan?_

Hermione looked at Harry and knew that he was thinking the same way she was. Whenever Harry had his eyebrow creased closely together, it usually means that he was skeptical about something. Hermione had trusted Jilly when she said that Donavan was the best when it comes to investigating such crime scenes. When she asked Ron, he snorted and shrugged. She looked over at Jilly and raised her eyebrow. Jilly just shrugged her shoulders. If Jilly really was pretending to have no idea what was going on with Ron, she was doing a pretty good job. Hermione knew better and realized that the look on Ron's face was of jealousy. He was definitely jealous to hear his girlfriend talked about another guy so fondly right in front of him.

"What do you think?" Hermione asked Harry.

"I don't know. I mean Jilly did say he's the best right?" Harry asked not really trusting the words that came out from his mouth. Donavan's charming good looks really had made Harry doubt his capabilities.

After a few more minutes of note writing, Donavan finally shut his notebook and place it back into his pants pocket. "Whoever this person is, he or she is really capable Miss Granger."

"Please, I told you. Call me Hermione." Hermione said. Donavan chuckled at her words.

"Alright then, Hermione. If you could tell me roughly the amount of mess your attacker has made, I will be able to analyze a few things. Like whether this person is a wizard or not…an animagi perhaps…we don't really know. We can't take anything for granted."

"But the Hogwarts' grounds are really safe. We do not take things for granted too."

"I'm not saying that things are taken for granted here. I meant that anyone can be capable of both the attacks that you had. Ron had given me some pictures of the destruction and it seemed like this person didn't do the job alone. In fact," Donavan paused and took out the pictures from his briefcase, "there are at least two of them involved." He beckoned for Harry and Hermione to scrutinize the picture closely.

"I ran some test on the pictures with the help of some Aurors that specializes in crime scenes. A little of magic and we had so called 'X-Ra' the picture…which basically mean, we increase the intensity of the pictures to see if there was any hidden clues in the pictures. It could be anything from footptints, handprints…you name it and we usually would be able to find it in pictures alone. We found," Donavan paused again and pointed to the left corner of the picture, "these."

Hermione and Harry looked closely and saw that there were two pairs of footprints on the picture, one smaller than the other. Hermione gasped in shock. "That is not just an ordinary footprint Donavan."

"They didn't call you smart for nothing huh?" Donavan said and Hermione blushed slightly. After all these years, Hermione still couldn't get used to the same old praises that was given to her. "I'm guessing you should be thinking what I'm thinking then."

Hermione shrugged, not sure if she was right but it instead leans more towards her feeling that she did not want what she had in mind to be right.

"It's not that hard to believe it Hermione. You're right. That's a footprint of a House Elf." Donavan said and looked up to Harry to see his reaction.

Harry was quite expressionless. He was too confused to even believe what he had just heard. "We have to find out which one did this Hermione, we can't let them go. I don't care if you are in love with your SPEW cause but we have to think about your safety. Not all House Elf are good Hermione. I'm sure you remember Kreacher." Harry said and squeezed her hand gently.

Hermione sighed and shook her head in disbelief. She was actually feeling angry about this whole thing that had been happening to her. She looked at Harry and Donavan and realized that she had to put all her passion aside and finally think about herself.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!

darkroses2992: Thank you so much for your review. I hope you enjoy reading this one!

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: Not all marriage go on smoothly right? Conflicts will make it all interesting. Well i'm sad thsi have to end too and of course i will write some more. I just need to gather myself and create ideas!

fleeting.ideas: Well i'm glad you like Blaise. He's not a jerk...really. Haha

pstibbons: I'm sorry you found the last chapter boring because i can't make everything to evolved around Hermione and Harry. My plan for this fic is to involve everyone but i do have plans to make my next fic to evolve just around Hermione and Harry. Not specifically though but it will be concentrated more on the both of them


	27. Battle on the Lovefield: Part 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's Note**: Firstly thanks for all the review. I really appreciate it. Second, i need to take a break for 2 weeks because school is gradually getting me pissed off. I have 2 projects coming up so i will be spending my time on that instead of my fanfic. I will try to come back by maybe the 20th or if i could, earlier.

Meanwhile, enjoy this one!

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Hermione woke up with a slight headache. She looked at the clock standing on her bedside table. It read 7:41. She closed her eyes once again and the memory came flooding back into her mind. Harry and she could not believe that her room was actually attacked by a House Elf. She couldn't believe that she had actually fought for their rights. She got up from the bed and took a long shower. She put on a new robe that she had bought when she was in Diagon Alley with Harry a few days ago.

As soon as Donavon had showed her the pictures, they reported it to McGonagall knowing that she was waiting for the results of the investigation. She was equally shocked but remained collected. She had ordered for a thorough investigation by calling all the House Elves in Hogwarts to a big meeting room where each and everyone of them were questioned by Donavon and his team. They were still in the midst of investigating but lessons went on as usual. Hermione was glad that her students were putting in more effort in their work. Homework was all handed up on time and she saw a vast improvement in her Year One and Year Two students.

Lessons for that day went really well and she was glad that nothing major had happened. She obviously did not want to handle any more problems than she already had in her hands. It was Friday night and Hermione knew that the day had finally come. She wished that was more involved in the planning of the attack they were going to make on the Death Eaters. McGonagall had called her in earlier to tell her to keep everything top secret and that she will be informed if they had to make their way to Grimauld Place. Hermione prepared herself by sitting on her bed with her legs crossed. She placed her wand in front of her and closed her eyes. She tried blanking her mind out and breathed in and out deeply. She felt calmed and her shoulders started to relax.

She then heard a soft knock on her window and opened her eyes. There was a school owl with a note on its beak. Hermione walked towards the owl and retrieved the note.

_Miss Granger,_

_We have narrowed our suspects and all of them are in the investigation room at this moment. I have Professor McGonagall with me and we will be waiting for you._

Donavan

Hermione found it strange that Donavan would send her a note via owl to inform her about the status of the investigation. He could have just approached McGonagall and she would inform Hermione. She took her wand and placed it inside her robes. She walked down to the Head Mistress room with caution. She knocked on the door and waited. The door usually opened by itself when Professor McGonagall granted entrance.

"Head Mistress? Professor McGonagall?" Hermione called out but there was no answer. "Are you in there?" Hermione waited and received no reply. She shrugged to herself and sighed. _I guess she's already in the investigation room_.

Hermione walked to the investigation room and looked at her watch. It was almost 7PM and they could be called by the Order at any moment. She hastened her pace and reached the room in record time. She opened the door and was surprised that it was empty.

"Donavan? Head Mistress?" Hermione almost whispered. She took her wand out and pointed it in front of her. The door behind her slammed and she jolted.

"Well, well…look who we have here." A voice sneered. Hermione turned around and saw the face of Natalie Avery. She was wearing a black robe and her blond hair was covered by a hood. Her eyes were dull. Beside her stood a House Elf who was looking at her with large red eyes. "I finally got you cornered."

Hermione tried calming herself down, telling herself that she could control a 17-year-old. She had afterall faced Death Eaters well beyond her age and they were defeated in her hands. "Natalie, you wouldn't want to do this."

"Why? What makes you think I will not want to kill you myself?" Natalie asked angrily.

"Natalie, why are you doing this?"

"I can't believe you asked me that question." Natalie spat. "Who do you think you are? So what if you had survived the biggest war in the wizarding world and that you're the smartest witch of your age? I do not care!"

"Look Natalie, we can sit and talk. Maybe you need help?" Hermione asked helplessly.

"Help? You think I'm going insane?" Natalie laughed loudly and pointed her wand at Hermione. "Don't worry; you're not going to die alone."

Three men appeared from behind the shadows of the curtain and grabbed Hermione by her hand. One of them snatched her wand and broke it in two. They tied Hermione tightly on an armchair.

"Don't you remember anything Hermione?" Natalie asked. "You killed my uncle damn it! How could you forget?" Natalie chuckled lightly but it immediately changed into sobs. "He was my favourite…he dotes on me and now I have no one! My stupid mother only cares about my stupid sister and my father left the family for an ugly big spender! You took the only person who loved me for me you stupid witch! I hate you!" Natalie screamed angrily.

Hermione's heart raced furiously. She suddenly remembers now. That night at the Battlefield, she had directed the Killing curse at Avery. It was simply her instinct. He was a Death Eater and defeating him was what she had to do. There was no other reason why Avery should be spared.

Natalie was shaking with anger and the House Elf stood by her like a loyal servant. The three men that had tied Hermione to the armchair had their face hidden inside the thick black hood that was covering their head. They stood behind Natalie like her faithful entourage. _Who are they? Do I know them?_

"But like I said, you don't have to worry. You will not die alone. I'm sure you will love to die with your love one don't you?" Natalie asked.

Hermione realised who she was talking about and her breath caught in her throat. "Please, don't drag Harry into this." Hermione said shakily.

"Don't drag Harry into this." Natalie mimicked. She laughed an evil laugh. "You're ridiculous! Because of that Potter, the war happened. Because of that Potter, my uncle got involved in this whole shit in the first place! I despise all of you." Natalie walked towards Hermione and sneered. "Why is it that people like you are just so lucky? First you survive the war and then you got the most talk about job in Hogwarts and then you have to go and get yourself a famous boyfriend!"

"Tyson," Natalie called one of the men, "I think it's time we show my professor some pain."

Tyson, a tall thin man took out his wand and pointed it to Hermione. "Crucio!" He shouted and Hermione screamed in pain.

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Harry walked through the Hogwarts entrance with a feeling of worry in his heart. He received a note from Hermione telling him to meet him in Hogwarts so that they both could get ready for the battle together. He found it weird that Hermione was making him do this. He knew better that Hermione was the most independent woman he had ever met. She knew how to take care of herself and there was no need for him to be with her everytime. That was one of the things he loved about Hermione. Unlike Cho, who was always clingy, Hermione know that there was no need to let everyone see that they were both in love with each other. As long as they both knew that little detail, they'll be happy enough to go through the day.

Harry quickened his pace and reached her room after he was allowed in into the corridor by one of the Hogwarts' caretakers. On the door was a note written recognizably enough in Hermione's handwriting.

_Harry,_

_Meet me at the investigation room. McGonagall and I will be waiting for you there along with Donavan. He has narrowed the suspects to a few._

_Hermione_

Harry ran towards the investigation room that was located on the fifth floor. He ran up a few stairs avoiding those that changes. He was at the door in under a minute, anxious to know the outcome of the investigation. He opened the door and saw Hermione tied to an armchair. He rushed to her and looked into her eyes which were full of fear and something else he couldn't recognize. Once he untied the cloth around her mouth, she started to speak miles per minute.

"You got to get out of here Harry, it's not safe." Hermione said.

"Hermione what happened? You got bruises on your hand and there's a cut on your forehead." Harry said. He took out his wand from his back pocket.

"Not so fast Potter! Step back!" Harry turned his head to face Natalie who had her wand pointing right at him.

"Miss Avery, put your wand down." Professor McGonagall appeared at the door. Her hair was in a mess and her robes were torn. "I have set out a Patronus to warn the Order. I suggest you back away."

"Where are my friends?" Natalie asked fearfully.

"That was really brave of your friends to attack me Miss Avery but fortunately for me; they were not strong enough to hold me down."

"I will not break down! I have enough strength and so much hatred to make sure I survive this battle! I'll duel if you want me to. _Expelliarmus_!"

Harry pulled Hermione towards him and ducked behind the chair. "Do not hide from me both of you! Come out! Tyson, Milner, you got to help me!"

"Ready?" Harry whispered to Hermione. She nodded her head. "Do you have the energy?" Harry asked and kissed Hermione on her forehead. "You're very accomplished Hermione, I know you can do this even without a wand but I want you to have mine." He handed his wand to Hermione who started to cry.

"Harry please don't do this. You can't always save me." Hermione withdraw a sharp intake of breath as she said this.

"I'm sorry I can't do that. I love you." Harry said and stood up to face Natalie before Hermione could stop him.

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"That's McGonagall's Patronus. Something has happened. I knew there was something wrong when Potter didn't get back here on time with McGonagall and Granger.." Moody said as he looked up at the dark sky at the silvery figure of a cat. "Prague and Longbottom, make your way to Hogwart's now. I believe McGonagall have left her fireplace open for Floo travel."

"I'll go." Ron volunteered when he heard that his name wasn't called.

"I'm sorry son; you're coming with us to the Malfoy Manor." Moody said sternly.

"I can't let Jilly go alone!"

"Ron, Neville's coming with me. It's alright." Jilly assured. Ron shook his head in dismay. He knew that there was no other way for him to convince Moody to let him go with Jilly.

"I'll make sure she will be alright Ron." Neville chipped in.

Ron sighed dejectedly. He holds Jilly's hand and looked into her eyes. "Take care of yourself alright?"

"Ron, you know I will. You take care of yourself too. I'll see you later." Jilly said. Ron let g of her hands unwillingly. Jilly and Neville walked towards the fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo powder. Jilly stepped in first and looked at Ron and smiled at him. Ron smiled back at her but his heart somehow felt otherwise.

"Hogwarts!" Jilly disappeared in a few seconds as large green flames licked the fireplace. Neville went after her and when they both were gone, Moody turned to Ron.

"I'm really sorry son. I can't let both of you be involved in the same case this time. Romantic relationships may sometimes get in the way." He said and patted Ron's back.

Ron shrugged and remained silent. Moody then gathered everyone to explained Plan B, now that two of their members were engaged in a different case.

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Draco took Ginny's hand and they both headed to a room on the highest floor of the manor. Boone followed behind them together with Martha and Pettigrew. Ginny's heart was beating furiously. Draco looked at her and gave her a smile. She laced her fingers through his and holds them tightly. A few Death Eaters who were on guard outside the room immediately opened the door to let them in.

The room was dimly lit and it was sparse. Death Eaters stood in a big circle wearing black robes with hoods covering their heads. Ginny noticed that there was an eerie feeling to everything that was right in front of her eyes. The fireplace was burning wildly and it cast shadows on the four walls of the vast room. Ginny saw Greyback, Belinda Avery and all the others that she had met prior to this night. She straightened her back and walked beside Draco confidently. Draco led her to the centre of the circle while Marha stood on their right. Boone and Pettigrew joined the circle.

Draco eyed the grandfather clock on the left corner of the room. It was five minutes to midnight. As soon as the clock chimes, he knew that it would be time to start. He hoped that everyone in the Order were already prepared. He knew that the Death Eaters are all ready and set. If some of them were beginning to suspect anything, they are acting very well to hide it.

Ginny stood in front of Draco and they had their hand outstretched to each other; holding them tight. As soon as the clock chimes, Draco nodded his head to Ginny to let her know it was time. Ginny nodded her head in return to tell him that she was ready. They both closed their eyes and chanted the spell.

"Ego posco priscus potentia

Exorior mihi tenus ego peto tu

Adjungo is ea id magnus maior maximus potentia obtineo

Ut enim fundo ceteri"

A white blinding light shine on them from the top of the sky. Ginny could feel a strong wind blowing her hair and it felt cool on her skin. Draco had told her to keep her eyes closed until he told her it was alright to open them. She could feel Draco's grip on her hands getting tighter and tighter. She then felt herself being lifted into the air. Ginny cautiously opened her eyes and so did Draco. They both were now floating at least three feet in the air. They kept on rising but as soon as they did, Ginny and Draco felt electric shocks throughout their body. Ginny yelped in pain while Draco struggled with it. They both dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

"What happened?" Martha asked, her voice slightly quivering. Draco propped himself up by his elbow and looked at Ginny who was unconscious.

"What happened?" He mimicked.

A deep cruel laugh slowly escalade and Draco looked up to the man standing in front of him. Boulahrouz looked down at him disdainfully. Boone stood behind him with a smirk on his face.

"I'm not stupid Malfoy! Things are about to get interesting." Boulahrouz sneered.

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REVIEWS PLEASE

Author's Note: The incantation is loosely translated from English to Latin:

I call upon the ancient power

Come forward to me as far as I seek you

Join this great power that we possess

So we may defeat the others

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: Hey I hope you did get your paper done...and i don't intend to make Donavan as a fishy character.

darkroses2992: Well, you have to read on to see if Pansy does know about Ginny or not...

fleeting.ideas: Thanks for your review. I agree that this is not my best chapter although i like writing about how Draco pleaded Ginny for forgiveness. Haha.

pstibbons: Hmm, i didn;t realise that i potrayed Harry as a bimbo-ish character...and i hope that i won't in the future!


	28. Battle on the Lovefield: Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter/

Author's note: It's good to be back! Classes are finally over and the only thing i will be concentrating on are assignments! So this is the 28th chapter and just two more and we'll be done! Thanks for all the reviews and do leave one at the end!

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"I'm not stupid Malfoy…but of course with the involuntary help from some people, I finally could see what you are up to." Boulahrouz chuckled. "My oh my, I would never have thought that one day I am able to defeat the man who comes from the purest blood of wizards." He bent down so that he was eye to eye with Draco. "Didn't see this coming did you?" He pulled Draco up by his collar and lifted him up. Draco struggled to pull Boulahrouz's hands of him but he was too strong. Boulahrouz threw him against the nearest wall and Draco fell with a thud.

Draco felt excruciating pain in his abdomen and hoped that his bones were not broken. He stood up with great effort trying not to show any pain on his face. He put his hand into his pocket to fish out his wand but found nothing. Boulahrouz laughed at this.

"Looking for this?" He asked and showed Draco his wand. "And may I add again, that I'm not that stupid." He broke Draco's wand into two knowing that Draco could use the Summoning Charm to retrieve the wand back in his hands. "Bring them in." He said to Boone and his two comrades.

The other Death Eaters who were still in the circle looked at each other confusingly still not knowing what was happening. They had questions in their mind about what was happening between Boulahrouz and Draco.

Draco looked at Boone disgustedly, disapproving his betrayal. Draco had underestimated him at so many levels. He heard a few feet being dragged into the circle. The two other vampires had Pansy and Blaise in their hands. Blaise had cuts and bruises on his forehead, hands and neck. Pansy had fear in her eyes and they both looked like they had been tortured.

"Nedved and Veron were supposed to kill this bloody witch for me." Bouahrouz pointed to Pansy. "But you see, before they could even do that, they heard her babbling something about how you were scheming against the Death Eaters and of course these two reported it to me."

"Do not involve them into this." Draco almost pleaded. "You want to deal; you deal with only me Boulahrouz. Not my friends."

"Oh no…no! What you didn't know of course," Boulahrouz paused and walked over to Pansy. He grabbed her by the arm and she yelped in pain. "You see, she actually used to work with me. Well actually, she came to me and told me about how I could get Giselle if I work together with her. She was clearly head over heels for you Malfoy and was willing to deal with me to get to you."

"Draco I'm so sorry." Pansy begged.

"Let go of my friends." Draco said calmly.

"Not so easy." Boulahrouz said. He pushed Pansy on to the floor and walked towards Ginny.

"Don't you dare touch her." Draco shouted.

"Oh and if I do what are you going to do Malfoy? Kill me?" He said sarcastically and ignored Draco's deathly stares. "So beautiful isn't she?" He said and caressed Ginny's cheeks.

"I said do not touch her!"

"_Impedimenta_" Someone shouted. The curse knocked one of the Death Eaters to the ground. Draco looked around and saw that The Order had arrived. He got up slowly and saw Martha rushing to him carefully avoiding the curses that was directed by members of The Order.

"Take this." Martha said handing Draco her wand. "You need it more than I do. I'm very accomplished in _leer mente_, I can use that" They both saw Boulahrouz carrying Ginny out of the room and giving orders to Nedved and Veron. "Go get her. I'll be alright here."

Draco looked at his grandmother and at the wand in his hand. "What are you waiting for? Go!" She pushed him up and Draco ran out the door to catch up with Bouahrouz. He was lucky to run fast enough. Boulahrouz was running down the stairs when he stopped him.

"_Wingardium Leaviosa!_" Ginny floated in the air away from Boulahrouz. "_Accio!_" Ginny zoomed towards Draco's open arms.

"I think I'm impressed." Boulahrouz drawled sarcastically. Draco put Ginny down carefully.

"_Sectumsempra!_" Draco flicked his wand towards Boulahrouz.

Blood began to spurt out from Boulahrouz's face and chest. He staggered backwards for a while but then smiled cunningly at Draco. His wounds began to heal slowly. The wounds closed up and the blood cleaned up by itself.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I am immortal? You can't kill me!" Boulahrouz shouted.

"I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes!"

"Well I'll do whatever it takes to kill you." Boulahrouz said menacingly.

"_Crucio!_" Draco shouted. Boulahrouz disappeared into thin air before the curse could reach him. "Come out you coward!" Suddenly, Draco was strangled from the back. Boulahrouz appeared back behind him and wrapped his strong arms around Draco's neck. Draco struggled for a while, trying his best to get air back into his lungs.

"_Impedimenta_" The curse hit Boulahrouz in the face and he was thrown across the floor, hitting the ground hard. Draco dropped to the floor, feeling like a fish out of water. He calmed himself and fought for air.

"Malfoy, are you ok?" Draco looked up and saw Ron. He nodded his head. He decided to keep sarcasm aside. Ginny's life might be on the line and he could not risk that. He let Ron helped him up.

"Let's finish this one!" Draco said his voice a little weak. Ron nodded his head determined to help Draco. They saw Boulahrouz got up from his fall. "Attacking your enemy from the back is cowardice Boulahrouz."

Boulahrouz chuckled at Draco's statement. He looked up and saw that both Ron and Draco had their wands pointed at him. "You want to fight? I'm totally fine with that!" Boulahrouz pointed his fingers to Draco and Ron and emitted bright sparks of electricity towards them. Draco and Ron were slammed on the ground and Boulahrouz laughed loudly in satisfaction. Draco rolled over and scrambled back on to his feet. He pulled Ron up and they both pointed their wands back at Boulahrouz.

"_Stupefy_!" Ron shouted and the curse hit Boulahrouz right on his chest.

"We have to get Ginny on safer ground. I'm going to apparate with her. You try to distract Boulahrouz as much as you can." Draco told Ron.

"I'll do what I can." Ron said determined to help Draco protect Ginny.

Draco hold Ginny in his arms and apparated them both to the Master bedroom. Ginny stirred and opened her eyes as soon as Draco placed her on the bed.

"What's happening? I heard Boulahrouz's voice? Where is he?"

"Ginny calm down. I'm not going to let Boulahrouz go anywhere near you."

"You have to let me help you. I know one thing that can help destroy him." Ginny pleaded.

"Not so fast!" Draco was thrown off and he hit the wall. Boulahrouz's eyes were full of anger. "No one can defeat me…no one!" He walked up to Draco and pulled him up by his collar. Draco's nose was bleeding and there were cuts on his cheek. "The red head was quite weak if you ask me." He said chuckling. "Now it's your turn!" He placed both his hands around Draco's neck and strangled him hard.

"No! Stop it!" Ginny screamed. Tears ran down her cheeks at the sight of Draco fighting for breath. "Boulahrouz stop it! Please…I'll do whatever you ask me to."

Boulahrouz stopped strangling Draco as soon as he heard what Ginny had said. He threw Draco to the other side of the room. Draco groaned in pain as he tried to get up to his feet. Ginny had tears running down her cheeks and her heart was furiously beating inside her chest. She was scared but she gathered all the Gryffindor courage that she had inside of her to do what she was about to do.

Draco looked at her and found himself confused. This was not planned and he had absolutely no idea what Ginny was up to.

"You know what I want Giselle." Boulahrouz whispered but loud enough for both Ginny and Draco to hear. Boulahrouz pulled Ginny's waist to him and traced his fingers along Ginny's small face. Ginny tried not to shudder at his touch and looked at him in the eye. "Looks like she'll do anything for you Malfoy…but I guess it's my lucky day."

"_What are you doing Ginny?"_ Draco asked.

"_Just trust me Draco. I know what I'm doing."_ Ginny answered when she heard Draco's voice in her mind.

Boulahrouz tilted Ginny's chin up to him and planted a kiss on her lips. Ginny closed her eyes and tried not to show any sign that she had other plans. She kissed Boulahrouz back and wrapped her arms around Boulahrouz's neck, pulling him closer to her. Boulahrouz opened his eyes and looked at Draco in the eye, teasing and mocking him.

Draco felt his heart burning in rage but he was too much in pain to fight Boulahrouz. Every part of his body seemed to ache everytime he moved. Boulahrouz pulled Ginny away by her hair and Ginny yelped in pain. He smiled in satisfaction.

"She's mine now Malfoy." Boulahrouz said, laughing cynically.

"Not so fast." Ginny said. Ginny quickly withdrew out a knife out of her pocket and stabbed it right at the center of Boulahrouz's chest. The sword was encrusted with green, red and blue jewels which were gleaming and as soon as it was stabbed into Boulahrouz, the room lighted up brightly.

"You bitch! What did you do?!" Boulahrouz screamed in anger. His face contorted in pain and he let his grip on Ginny's waist tightened. He placed his left hand on the knife that was streaming pain throughout his body.

He screamed in pain as his skin started to burn, turning into ashes in a split of a second. Ginny could feel the heat and tried to pull herself away from Boulahrouz who was getting weak but as soon as she did that, a force pulled her closer to Boulahrouz,

Draco watched and he couldn't do anything. The bright blinding light hurt his eyes everytime he tried to open them. He heard Ginny's screams which was now overcoming Boulahrouz's. "Ginny! Hold on!"

Draco tried opening his eyes and the moment he did that, the screaming stopped and the room went dark again. He saw Ginny's body lying limply on the floor a few feet away from him. He crawled on his hands and knees to get to Ginny. Her body was cold and she looked lifeless. "Ginny wake up!"

"What happened to her?"

Draco looked up and saw Ron limping and trying to get to Ginny as fast as he could. His forehead was bleeding and his left eye was swollen. "Let's get her to St Mungo's. I'll apparate us there."

Ron held on to Draco and Ginny and closed his eyes, concentrating deeply on the destination. There was a loud pop and the three of them landed at St Mungo's safely.

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"Pansy get down!" Blaise shouted over the noise. Pansy ducked a curse that was aiming for her. She rolled on the floor and hid behind an armchair. The curse hit Blaise across his face and he was slammed on the ground. Pansy ran to his side.

"Oh Blaise are you ok. I'm so sorry." Pansy said. She aimed her wand at the attacker angrily and shouted a curse. "_Stupefy_!"

"Blaise are you ok?" Pansy asked again.

"I'm fine…I'm fine." He got up on his feet and rubbed his head. They looked up and saw Martha skillfully defending herself against multiple curses that was directed at her. "We have to help her." Blaise said and Pansy nodded in agreement but her feet remained rooted to the ground.

"Pansy? Did you hear me?" Blaise asked.

'What are we doing here Blaise? This is insane! This wasn't how I pictured myself when I decided to come back to England!" Pansy said impatiently. She was sweating and her lips had several cuts.

"Hey hey. Listen to me alright? It's fine. Just remember, we're doing this for Draco. He's our friend!"

"I'm so going to kill him after all this is done!" Pansy uttered angrily. Despite the situation they were in, Blaise had to laugh at Pansy's antic. He always thought that she looks kind of cute when she's angry.

"Just be careful alright?" Blaise said and they both ducked a curse and hid behind a wardrobe. Pansy nodded her head and took in a huge breath and let it out slowly.

"I just need to do one thing." Pansy said.

"What is it?" Blaise asked impatiently. Pansy grabbed Blaise's face and gave him a kiss on his lips. He was a little taken aback for a second but recovered quickly and kissed Pansy back hungrily. He did not realize that this was what he wanted. This was what he actually wanted to do to Pansy since the day he brought her back to his apartment. Every single time they say goodnight to each other and every time Blaise set off to work, he had always looked at Pansy and they will stare each other in silence for just a second and they will both look away, regretting not taking that chance they had to kiss the other. They broke apart and Blaise looked at her and smile.

"We'll continue that later?" He asked cheekily.

"Later." Pansy agreed and they set off back to the battle.

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"Everybody calm down. Stay in your common room and prefects, I do not want anyone to be out of their common room. If I see one of you out there wandering, there will be consequences." Professor Sprout said to her house. Jilly and Neville had come and instructed all professors to alert their students. As soon as everyone was instructed to stay in their common rooms, Professor Sprout gave a nod to Neville and Jilly who dashed quickly towards the room that they suspected the attack had happened.

They saw flashes of bright light underneath the door where a small gap was. There were no sounds of screams or shouts. Neville and Jilly suspected that a silencing charm must have been placed to make sure that no noise escapes from the room.

"We got to hurry Neville. Ready?" Jilly asked. Neville nodded sternly and readied himself at the door. He turned the door knob and was shocked at the condition of the room.

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"Jilly look out!" Hermione shouted when she saw Neville and her at the door. They both dodged a curse and it hit the picture frame behind them. Hermione looked around and realize that suddenly the room was crowded with attackers. Natalie had apparently managed to get more people to help her. There were only five of them and at least two dozens of Natalie's entourage. _How did she manage to do this?_

Neville and Jilly started to defend themselves by deflecting curses with their wand. "_Incendio_!" Jilly shouted and Natalie's robes caught fire. She screamed and tried to get the robes off her back. She competently flicked her wand and deflected more curses that were directed at her. Neville did the same and protected his partner well by shielding Jilly from the curses that was aimed at her.

Harry pulled Hermione to one side to talk to her. "I just released a Patronus. We need more help. Seemed like we underestimate them."

"Do not hide you bloody witch! Where are you?" Hermione winced at the sound of Natalie's voice. Her head was thumping from all the noise and the bump on her forehead was making it worse.

"We can do this." Harry assured her.

"I don't want to kill anyone."

"We won't. We just have to…erm…stop them. Alright?"

Hermione nodded and Harry kissed her on her forehead. "Come on now."

Hermione got up on her feet and turned to see Natalie attacking Jilly single handedly. She looked like a pro. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and Jilly was soaring backwards and she hit the ground hard.

"No!" Hermione shouted and hot tears started to sting her eyes.

"_Constrictio Omnis_!" She heard Moody's voice and looked to her left. At once, all the Death Eaters and Natalie and her friend were lifted into the air and a force pulled them towards the center of the room. It was as if an invisible string was binding them in the air. All their wands dropped on the floor and they screamed in pain as the invisible string around their chest tightens.

Hermione ran towards Jilly at once. Neville was already beside her.

"I failed. I didn't protect my partner." Neville said.

"Neville, it's ok. You did a great job. Jilly was dueling with Natalie. There's nothing else you could do." Hermione said soothingly. She lifted Jilly's head and saw that she was bleeding profusely. "Jilly…wake up!"

Jilly's face was pale as it looks like blood was slowly draining out of her system. "Jilly please."

"She's unconscious; we have to get her to St Mungo's." Neville said.

"Go ahead. McGonagall and I can handle them." Moody said. Hermione looked up at them who was in the air. Natalie was shooting venom looks at her.

"Come on, let's go." Harry said and pulled her up. Neville carried the unconscious Jilly in his arms and they ran out the door. As Hogwarts' ground disallows apparation, they had to make their way out of the Hogwarts' circle. They were relieved when they saw Hagrid at the front door with a carriage handy.

"Moody told me ter get this ready. He said it migh' come in handy. Hurry now." He said and they went into the carriage. They made their way to Hogsmeade and quickly apparate to St Mungo's.

They went to the emergency section and registered Jilly who was immediately taken by a Healer and straight to the examination room. Hermione paced back and forth, sighing impatiently now and then.

"Thank Merlin!"

The three of them looked up and saw Ron. Their heart stopped for a while at the sight of him. "It's so good to see all of you. Malfoy and I have been waiting for hours around here. Ginny's in the examination room."

They nodded their head to acknowledge what he had just said. Hermione was about to ask about Ginny's condition but Ron beat her to it.

"Where's Jilly?" He asked looking around the corridor.

"Erm…Ron, Jilly is unconscious." Hermione started. "But I'm sure she's going to be fine." She added quickly.

"No…where is she? I want to see her."

Jilly's Healer got out of the room with a tired face. "Hi, I'm sorry but we have not managed to wake Jilly. She's still unconscious but her bleeding has stopped."

Ron sat down on one of the chairs and buried his face in his hands. He started to sob silently. Hermione sat down beside her friend and wrapped her arms around his shoulder.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!

pstibbons: Well basically, the main point was to defeat all the Death Eaters that did not get caught. But one thing lead to another so four of them were faced with different things. Anyway i like all your reviews. Makes me want to write more and improve my writing.

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: 2 more chapters and we can wrap it up!

fleeting.ideas: I hope i didnt make Avery to evil. I mean she's only a girl and she's young.


	29. I Love You

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter

**Author's Note**: Half an hour prior to this, i had problems logging in and now when my laptop's battery is running low, they decided to log me in. Fantastic! Uurghh...

Well that aside, this is the second last chapter, Chapter 29. I'm excited and a little sad that this is all ending. This chapter is not that long and i hope people who read it will like it. Please leave reviews at the end!!!

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Ginny's eyes fluttered slowly as she tried opening them. The light that was shining above her head was giving her a headache.

"She's awake. " She heard someone whispered.

"You guys keep it down. She has a headache!" She recognized that voice as Draco's. Her lips twitched into a smile. She felt his warm hand on hers and she squeezed his lightly.

"How are you doing?" Draco asked.

"I'm fine. How long was I unconscious?" Ginny asked.

"Just a little under an hour. We are all so worried."

"Is the baby fine?" Ginny suddenly remembered and clutched on her stomach.

"The baby is fine Ginny." Ginny closed her eyes in relief.

"Why don't you go back to sleep?" Hermione suggested.

"I will." Ginny said nodding her head. "I just need some time alone with Draco if you don't mind."

"Of course we don't mind. Take care alright?" Hermione said and leave the room with Harry. After the door shut silently, Draco kissed Ginny lightly on her right cheek.

"What is it that you want to talk about?" Draco asked.

"I'm sorry I didn't consult you before I took action on Boulahrouz."

"You don't need to say sorry Ginny. That was brilliant. How did you find out about the Dagger of the Fatum?"

"Ever since the day I did not return to the manor I was reading some books that Bill had bought for me when I was younger. I came across one about vampires and there was one page about how this certain dagger could claim vampire's lives just by stabbing them in the heart. I went to Knockturn Alley the next day with Fred and George as my company. There are only two such daggers in this world. One of it was rumoured to be last seen in Belgium and the other right here in England. It wasn't easy begging Fred and George to come with me though." Ginny explained.

"So what happened then?" Draco asked eagerly.

"I explained to them the advantages of us finding the dagger and they immediately agree with me. They finally saw the rationality behind my decisions. But that wasn't the challenge. We found the dagger easily but the owner from one of the shops along Knockturn Alley refused to sell it to us. He said that the dagger is one of the precious dark artefacts left after the war ended. Most of them were confiscated but he managed to hide a few. He said that there was only one price he wanted for the dagger and nothing was going to change his mind."

"So…how much did he asked for?"

"Erm…two hundred thousand Galleons?"

"Two hundred thousand Galleons???!"

"Yes Draco, two hundred thousand Galleons. I had to get the money from mother. I owled her that very day and she came to me with the money a few hours later when you were not at home. You were at one of the meetings." Ginny said.

"Well…at least it worked." Draco said softly and Ginny could see he was distracted. She knew that he wanted to invest the money that the Lucius had left after he died. "Hey it's ok." Draco said as soon as her thought crossed his mind. "I mean we do still have millions of Galleons and I love you more for doing what you did. It was so…Malfoy."

Ginny swatted his arms as hard as she could. They both laughed and was about to kiss when the door opens. It was Narcissa.

"Thank Merlin you both are safe!" She said and pulled both Ginny's and Draco's faces for a kiss.

"Of course we are." Draco said. Narcissa immediately broke down and cried on her son's shoulder. "Mother what happened?"

"It's your grandmother…she didn't make it." Narcissa sobbed. "They found her body among the Death Eaters. She's gone Draco."

"What?" Draco asked his voice hoarse.

"No…" Ginny said and shook her head. Tears were already streaming down her pale face and she cried into her hands. Narcissa walked over to her daughter-in-law and embraced her in a warm hug. They cried in each other's arms. Draco slumped down on his sit and buried his head in his hands. He didn't realise that the news about his grandmother would affect him this way. He had never come to good terms with Martha and all they both had done was argue most of the time. He didn't get to say thank you to her. He wanted to thank her for all the help and for all the things she had done to facilitate this whole battle. Most of all, he wanted to say thank you for believing in him and believing that he was never like his father.

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The Healer pointed his wand on Jilly's temple and placed his left hand slightly above her forehead. Ron waited in anticipation. The Healer shook his head in dismay.

"I think it is best that Miss Prague wake up at her own conscience. I can't do anything at this moment Mr Weasley." The Healer said.

"Alright." Ron merely said and the Healer left the room. Ron took a seat on the chair and pulled himself closer to Jilly. He held on to her cold right hand tightly, rubbing it occasionally to give it some warmth. Ten minutes later, Neville, Hermione and Harry walked in.

"Ron, I'm really sorry for what happened." Neville apologized.

"Neville, please don't apologize. Things happen you know." Ron said. Hermione looked at his best friend and saw that he was really affected by Jilly's condition. He took Ron's hand in hers and squeezed it lightly to assure him that things will be ok. She met Ron's blue eyes and smiled at him. He nodded as a sign of thanks.

"Everything will be alright mate. Jilly's a strong girl. She will survive." Harry said and patted Ron's back.

Ron nodded his head and looked at Jilly. _How did things go so wrong?_ Jilly was capable and her reflexes were usually fast. Ron took her hand to his lips and kissed it lightly.

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Hermione and Harry walked out of St Mungo's together after receiving their treatment from their Healer. Harry had some stitches on his forehead and Hermione received some treatment on the scratches and bruises on her arms and legs. They apparated back to Grimauld Place and sat on the sofa in Harry's room in silence.

"How's your forehead?" Hermione asked after a while.

"Nothing I can't handle." Harry replied.

"Good." She said and soon fell asleep with her head leaning on Harry's arms. Harry carried her to his bed and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Hermione slept soundly. Harry was tired and he felt a little sleepy but he couldn't find himself sleeping even when he tried. Thoughts were swarming his mind and he find it hard to keep him relaxed and go to sleep.

Harry went to another room across his. In there was all the possessions that his parents had kept for him. Sirius' most prized possession was in there too. He closed the door behind him and went straight to a chest of drawers. The drawer had the most intricate design Harry has ever laid his eyes on. Carvings of flowers; lilies to be exact, covered the sides of the drawer. The flowers were painted in bright colours and it matched the brown coloured wood of the drawer. He was told by Sirius that the chest of drawers belonged to his mother, Lily Potter. It was present to her on her wedding day by her parents.

Harry pulled out the first one where most of his mother's jewelleries were kept. He took a small red velvet box out and shut the drawer. He sat down on an antique chair and began to ponder. He opened the box and stared in awe at the sparkling diamond ring. Around the diamond were small green jewels Harry recognized as emeralds; the colour just like his eyes as well as his mother's.

It was four in the morning when Harry decided to lay down on the bed next to Hermione. He lay down quietly so that he would not make any noise that could wake Hermione. He smiled to himself and closed his eyes, feeling satisfied and confident that what he wants to do as soon as Hermione wakes up was the right thing.

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The next morning, Hermione woke up at the sound of Harry's voice. She opened her eyes and squinted at the bright light that was shining through the windows.

"Oh Harry, draw back the curtains. I want to go back to sleep." Hermione pleaded.

"Hermione, wake up." Harry nudged her softly. "I have prepared a very nice breakfast. It's already eight. Come on now."

Hermione forced her eyes open and saw Harry sitting beside her on the edge of the bed. He was looking at her intently and the look in his eye made her sighed and got up from the bed.

"Can I at least wash up first?" Hermione asked.

"Of course. Go on now." Harry said and pushed her slightly towards the bathroom. Hermione closed the door behind her and turn on the showers. She removed her clothes and took a quick one. She was out in ten minutes and was down at the dining room in twenty. On the table were scrambled eggs, pancakes, some bread, hams and jams of all kinds. Harry pulled her and let her sit on one of the chairs.

"Well…dig in." Harry said when all Hermione did was stared at the food. He poured her a cup of tea and she took a sip. She started with some marmalade and a piece of bread. They started talking about the events that had happened the previous night and knew that Moody might want to question them anytime. After almost an hour of a nice scrumptious breakfast, Hermione noticed that Harry was looking at her nervously.

"Erm, Hermione." Harry started.

'Yes?" Hermione asked.

"Can I ask you a question?" Harry stammered. When Hermione nodded her head, Harry felt his heart lifted and raced at the same time. "Hermione, will you marry me?"

Hermione looked at Harry in surprise, too shock to answer him.

"Hermione, I have done a lot of thinking last night and to tell you the truth, I didn't sleep at all. Makes you wonder how I still have the energy to prepare breakfast huh?" Harry said and chuckled nervously. Hermione just smiled. Harry cleared his throat and started to speak again. "The truth is I just can't bear the thought of losing you. You have no idea how difficult and frightening it was for me last night when we were battling. You getting hit by a curse…it just made me realise that there is no one else in this world I rather spend my whole life with other than you. You are my best friend, my backbone. You were there, helping me when I need you. Hermione…I love you."

"Well, I love you too." Hermione said. Her eyes were glistening with fresh tears and it dropped slowly down her cheeks. Harry wiped her tears away and she felt the calluses of his hand but most of al, she felt assurance and safety.

"So will you marry me?" Harry asked again.

"Of course. Of course I'll marry you."

Harry slipped on the ring on Hermione's finger, to Hermione's surprise and they kissed passionately.

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Ron woke up early the next morning. He had slept on a cot in Jilly's ward. She was still unconscious and last night, before he went to sleep, he had requested that Jilly's Healer try again in reviving her.

"Mr Weasley, may I suggest that you try talking to her? You know, maybe deep inside, she can hear voices and she might react to it and wake up. Give her words of encouragement, just talk to her about all kinds of things." The Healer had said. Ron looked up at the 52-year-old man and just nodded his head.

He got up from the cot and walked to the washroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. Mr and Mrs Weasley had come down last night to bring some change of clothes and other necessities. After washing up, he went back to sit beside Jilly and hold both her hand in his.

"Hey Jilly, it's a wonderful morning." Ron began. He looked out the window and felt the light cool breeze. Smell of the morning dew and fresh air wafted through the window and lingered in the room. "Do you hear the birds chirping Jilly? I know you love to hear them in the morning. Remember the time we had to make a trip to Romania last January? You were so eager to watch the sunrise coz you heard that it is beautiful to watch the sunrise over the hills. I remember you waking Neville and me up and in the end pissing both of us." Ron chuckled. "I didn't admit to you how beautiful I thought the sunrise was on that day. So I'm telling you right now. And…" Ron paused and looked at Jilly. He summoned all his courage and said it out loud enough, hoping that Jilly could somehow hear him in her deep sleep. "Jilly, I love you. I really do." Ron started to sob and buried his face in his hands while still holding on to Jilly's. "So please wake up Jilly because I need you."

Ron wiped his tears hastily and looked at Jilly again. His heart started to race when he saw Jilly's eyes fluttering lightly. Her fingers started to move. "Jilly?"

Jilly opened her eyes slowly and looked over at Ron. He smiled for the first time in two days and his racing heart began to slow down.

"Water." Jilly muttered and Ron quickly poured for her a glass. He helped bring the glass to her lips and Jilly sip it slowly.

"Lie down Jilly, I need to get Healer James to see you." Ron said and Jilly weakly nodded her head. Ron rushed to get Jilly's Healer and when he got him, the Healer rushed to Jilly's ward and did some test on her.

"She's going to be fine. She just needs lots of rest." He said ten minutes later. "I'm going to get some prescriptions for her. There are some potions she ought to take to make her stronger faster." Healer James said and closed the door to give Ron and Jilly some privacy.

Ron kissed Jilly on her forehead and smiled at her. "I'm so glad you're awake."

"I'm glad too." Jilly said her voice hoarse and soft. "Is there something else you would like to tell me?"

Ron looked up at her face and into her hazel brown eyes. _She knew. She must have heard it_. Ron cleared his throat and find himself suddenly unable to uttered the three words that he had a few minutes ago. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"I love you Jilly. I'm sorry I didn't say this earlier. I knew better now."

Jilly smiled at Ron, her heart filling in with such loving warmth. She had been waiting to hear that and she was glad that she finally did.

"Well, I love you too." Jilly said and Ron stood up from his seat and lay down on the bed beside Jilly.

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That evening, a small funeral was held for Martha Anna Malfoy. The Malfoys, The Weasleys, Hermione, Harry and some of the Aurors involved in the battle were present. Moody and McGonagall were also amongst them. Ginny linked her arm with Draco and holds him tightly. Narcissa was standing on his left side with a handkerchief in her right hand. Most of the one present had red eyes and were sniffing slightly. After the funeral, all of them waited to give their condolences to the Malfoys.

Ginny hugged Mrs Weasley tightly and cried in her arms. "It's ok my dear. Everything will be fine. Martha died protecting us. She will always be remembered."

After meeting with everyone present, the Malfoys went back to the Manor. Narcissa excused herself and went into her room. Draco and Ginny went into their room and lay down on the bed all day. They talked about everything and anything but Martha. Ginny knew enough not to question him and knowing Draco, she knew that even if she asked, Draco wouldn't want to answer.

Draco wrapped her arms around Ginny and kissed her right temple. "So what are you going to name our baby?"

"You sure you want me to name our baby?" Ginny asked.

"Well…if it's a boy, Draco Jr will be great."

"Are you kidding me Draco?"

"No I'm not." Draco said and he got his arm punched by Ginny.

"Ow! What's that for?"

"Well I think one Draco is enough…so no, no Draco Jr."

Draco chuckled and suggested another name for Ginny. "Ok what about Matthew? Or maybe Jason…or Bradford?"

"Can I ask why you're spurting out only names of boys?"

"I'm sure it's going to be a boy."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because I just know it's going to be a boy."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I don't know why I marry you Draco." She said.

"Oh come on. I know you know." He started and kissed Ginny on her lips. "I know you simply can't resist me." He whispered huskily into Ginny's ear and kissed her neck.

"Draco stopped it. I know what you're trying to do." Ginny said and tried pushing him away.

Draco started to tickle her tummy and Ginny screamed and laughed as she started to feel ticklish.

"Stop it Draco!" Ginny pleaded. Draco stopped and kissed her hungrily. He stopped and looked at Ginny in the eye.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too Draco." Ginny said.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!

fleeting.ideas: Wow you worry about so much people. LOLX! Well things get better in this chapter i hope.

Sam: I never thought you would come back. Thanks for the review.

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: I didn't realise that you don't really like Ginny beforet his chapter. I kinda thought it was all neutral. I'm going to miss this fanfic too and of course i'm gonna write again.


	30. Until the End

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Author's Note: Awww...it's the last chapter..and it's kinda sad. Anyway it has been fun and i wanna thank all reviewers. I am in the midst of another fanfic and i can't wait to post it. But i'm not comfortable with posting it at this moment. Maybe either late April or May.

Meanwhile, the last chapter is going to be short. It's a short summary of all the things that happened after the battle. So enjoy and leave your very last review at the end.

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**3 years later**

"I do." Ron said clearly and smiled at Jilly.

"I now pronounced you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." The minister said. Ron lifted up the veil off Jilly's face and bend down a little to kiss her on her lips. The crowd erupted in cheers and Mrs Weasley had tears in her eyes. Mr Weasley hugged his wife in happiness.

The newlyweds waved to the crowd. Jilly was glowing beautifully in her simple wedding gown that was flowing down gracefully up to her ankle. Ron was wearing a nice black tuxedo and he was dashingly handsome with a shorter haircut.

At the wedding reception, everyone was having fun catching up with one another. People were dancing to the soft music and Ron and Jilly were already in their own world.

"So when do you think we can finally get out of here and enjoy our honeymoon?" Ron asked.

"Ron! Can you at least be a little more patient?" Jilly asked and laughed when Ron gave her a sad face. "Look around." Jilly said. "I would never have thought that I could be so happy."

Ron looked at the people around him and smiled. Jilly was right. Everything looked perfect. Harry was sitting down with Hermione, who was already expecting. Parvati and George finally got engaged and so did Fred and Melissa. Ginny and Draco looked like a pair of tired parents. Tired but happy. Blaise and Pansy…well, no one really knew what they really were.

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"Angelica. Angelica honey where are you?" Ginny almost shouted.

"Ginny sweetheart, you got to relax. Angelica is…somewhere." Narcissa said.

"Was Draco this mischievous when he was younger? Because I swear I wasn't like this when I was." Ginny said.

Narcissa chuckled at her daughter-in-law. "He was. Draco was a nightmare right up until he finally decided to grow up." Ginny laughed along with Narcissa.

"I didn't know a three year old can be so hard to control." Ginny said. A girl's laughter was heard soon after and Ginny turned around to see her daughter in Draco's arms. Draco was tickling her to no end.

"Daddy put me down." Angelica begged as her infectious laughter filled the garden. "Please daddy."

"This is what you get for hiding from daddy Angelica Martha Malfoy." Draco said smiling to himself. Draco and Ginny decided to name their daughter Angelica Martha as a remembrance to their grandmother whom they both loved. Draco put her daughter down and she ran towards Ginny. Ginny picked her up and looked at her daughter. She had eyes just like Draco's and her blond hair was as soft as silk.

"We're not playing hide and seek Angelica. Keep close. Don't let mummy scream for you again alright?" Ginny asked and Angelica nodded her head. "Now go play with Anthony."

Ginny watched her ran to Bill's second son who was one year older than Angelica. Draco joined Ginny and sat on one of the chairs while Narcissa chatted with Mrs Weasley. Draco kissed Giny on her left cheek affectionately and rubbed her shoulders to calm her down.

"How's the baby in you?" Draco asked as he placed his left hand on Ginny's stomach. They were both expecting a second child.

"He keeps on kicking me."

Draco caught what she had said and smirked. "And what makes you think that this one is going to be a boy?"

"Because I just know this is going to be a boy." Ginny teased him. Draco rolled his eyes and kissed his wife on her lips.

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"McGonagall told me I can take my maternity leave starting next week. It's getting heavy Harry, I don't know if I can carry this." Hermione said sighing. Hermione was almost seven months pregnant.

"I know you can do it. You're a strong woman." Harry said and kissed her cheeks.

"Thank you. I don't know how I'm supposed to this without you." Hermione said and placed her head on her husband's shoulder. "You're not going to have a game when the time comes right?"

"I assure you that even if I'm in the middle of a game, I will drop everything and fly back to you." Harry said and kissed her head.

They sat in silence and looked at everyone else. Ron and Jilly were dancing on the dance floor. Ginny and Draco were laughing about something Draco had said. Blaise and Pansy were at the dance floor too. Angelica was giggling at the silly faces that Anthony was making at her.

"I want a girl." Hermione suddenly said.

Harry chuckled. "I want a girl too."

"Well that's good. We don't have to be like Ginny and Draco. They keep arguing about this."

"I'm glad we don't have to quarrel over it. But what if it's a boy?"

"Then I'm happy too." Hermione said and looked up at Harry. Harry tilted her chin and gives her a kiss on her lips.

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Pansy looked at Blaise and tip-toed to kiss him. She loved being with him. Just having him around gave her a sense of security that she had not been able to have for so many years. She sought for it from Draco but never receive any. Her life took an unpredictable turn since the first day she met Blaise in Spain.

"What are you thinking about?" Pansy asked.

"You." Blaise said simply. He laughed quietly when he saw Pansy blushing. He kissed her forehead lovingly.

"I wish I can stay with you like this forever." Pansy said.

"Who says we can't?" When Pansy didn't reply, Blaise hold her closer to him, smelling the sweet floral fragrance on her.

"I want to be with you for as long as I live Pansy. I want to make you happy."

Pansy laughed at what Blaise said.

"What's so funny?" Blaise asked with a hurt look on his face.

"It's just that, back in Hogwarts, I would never have dream this would happen." She paused and looked at Blaise in the eye. She started to blush a little and smile. "You know…me falling for you, me wanting you to hold my hand and me worrying everytime you're not home on time. What have you done to me Blaise?"

"I think I should be the one asking you that question. You should know my reputation back then. I dated different girls every month and you Pansy, you made me feel that I should finally settle down…with you. The woman I truly love." Blaise whispered.

"I love you." Pansy said and Blaise hugged her tight and said the same thing. As the both of them dance along to the soft sound of the music, the ring on Pansy's finger glittered against the sun. Blaise had proposed to her the previous day and they both couldn't wait to tell all their friends.

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REVIEWS PLEASE!!!

sam: Well i'm so glad to know that you have been reading. I'll be posting another one in maybe 2 months time and i hope you will come back. Thanks!

CrAzY-gIrL-oUt-To-WrEaK-hAvOc: Nice to know that i convinced you that Ginny is a cool gal. I hope you'll put me on Author Alert coz i will be posting one more (hopefully a good one) when the time comes. Thanks!


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